Startups For the Rest of Us Episode 757 | TinySeed Tales s4e5: Founder Breakups, Crushing Failures, and the Future
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Feb 13, 2025 Colleen Schnettler, a developer and entrepreneur, co-founded Hello Query but faced significant challenges along her startup journey. She candidly shares the emotional impact of her co-founder breakup and the sense of crushing failure that followed. Colleen discusses the struggle to realign their product vision with market needs and the uncertainty of moving forward solo. Her insights on sacrifice, resilience, and the need for clarity highlight the complex landscape of entrepreneurship and personal growth.
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Co-founder Burnout
- Colleen and Aaron hired a Laravel developer to expedite their MVP, but Aaron experienced burnout and dread.
- He couldn't work on Hello Query and expressed a lack of excitement for the product.
Vending Machine Breakup
- Colleen felt the co-founder breakup was inevitable, comparing it to shaking a vending machine until it falls.
- She considered being more relaxed, but realized their work styles and goals were misaligned.
Crushing Failure
- Colleen felt her business was failing despite the funding and effort invested.
- She questioned her next steps, whether to continue alone, rebuild, or shut down, feeling overwhelmed by the perceived failure.