In 2023 and 2024, over 28,000 Indian startups shut shop. For many of those founders, the company’s closure wasn’t the hardest part—job hunting afterward was. ( link in comments)
A Yale study found founders get 43% fewer callbacks than non-founders. In India, the bias runs deeper. “Failed founder” too often gets read as “scammer,” “too expensive,” or “too difficult to manage.” Conversations in interviews circle back to why the venture didn’t work. Add expectations for autonomy or higher pay, and hiring managers see risk instead of value.
But here’s what’s missed: the lessons learned in building and losing a company are unmatched.
1. Operating under uncertainty becomes second nature
2. Resilience is forged in daily decisions
3.Leadership extends beyond job descriptions
4. Resourcefulness is tested and proven
As leaders, we say we want people who learn from failure —but when faced with actual failure, we flinch.
If you’re a founder whose venture didn’t work out—remember, you haven’t “lost.” You’ve learned in ways most never will. That’s a win you carry forward, no matter what the scoreboard says.
Sometimes, the best way to win is to lose and grow stronger.