3 builders who never spoke to each other

Name what actually happened before you decide

The label you attach, a rejected experiment, a course correction, a pivot, a failure, decides what you do next, so reserve the harshest one for the case where nothing was reached. Ask whether you would start the thing today if it did not already exist, so the money already spent stops making the decision, and where the grind is unbearable write out the shutdown in full, refunds included, and compare that against the stress you are carrying.

The method

1. 01

   Name what actually happened instead of calling it a failure, because the label you choose decides what you do next: a rejected experiment, a step in the maze, a course correction or a pivot each imply a different move.

2. 02

   Audit a live project by asking whether you would begin it today if it did not already exist, so the time and money already spent stops making the decision for you.

3. 03

   When the grind gets unbearable, write out the shutdown in detail, including the note to customers and the total refunds owed, then compare that against your current stress and choose deliberately.

4. 04

   Decide in advance how long you will give the venture, then actually serve that term. Quitting early forecloses the deal you have not met yet.

What it returned

• $600

  The question came out of weighing whether to keep grinding on a project doing $600 MRR or go looking for better ground.

• He reserves the word for the case where the company shuts down without reaching anything meaningful.

• The author notes that launching very fast keeps sunk cost low, so walking away genuinely costs little

• The team agreed on six months before calling Howell Market a failure and shut it down at three.

Sources

• ⭐️ Explore vs. Exploit – Jakob GreenfeldJakob Greenfeld · jakobgreenfeld.com · ⭐️ Explore vs. Exploit · 2022-03-07
• Stop saying “fail”Jason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · Stop saying “fail” · 2023-09-10
• Chapter 6: Thriving in the Long, Slow, SaaS Grind - Tyler TringasTyler Tringas · tylertringas.com · 2. Become a stoic, mentally walk thru disaster · 2017-03-14
• Howell Market: How Bad Partners Killed an e-CommerceCody Howell · failory.com · Which were the causes of Howell Market's failure? · undated