Introduction Remember drugstore.com? That blue-and-white website where you could order everything from vitamins to makeup to cold medicine? It was one of the internet’s first big online pharmacies. Then, one day in 2016, it simply vanished from our screens. Poof! Gone. As someone who has
Introduction Remember when everyone thought crowdsourcing would change how we make things forever? I sure do. Back in 2009, a bright-eyed 24-year-old named Ben Kaufman launched Quirky with a simple but powerful idea: let regular folks submit their invention ideas, then have a community vote
The sudden collapse of Defy Media in 2018 sent shockwaves through the digital entertainment industry. What began as one of the most promising digital media companies quickly unraveled, leaving creators scrambling and millions of fans wondering what happened to their favorite content. As someone who’s
Beepi burst onto the scene with a bold vision: to revolutionize how we buy and sell used cars. As someone who watched this startup rocket to a $560 million valuation before crashing spectacularly, I’ve got some insights to share. The story of Beepi isn’t just
Introduction Remember Rdio? If you don’t, you’re not alone. Once a bright star in the streaming music galaxy, Rdio blazed a trail that others would follow before burning out too soon. As someone who rode the startup rollercoaster and now funds the next generation of
Introduction Remember Anki? That flashcard app everyone swore would revolutionize learning? The one medical students, language learners, and knowledge workers praised as the ultimate memory hack? Well, despite its cult following, Anki never truly broke into the mainstream. It remained stuck in a niche, failing
Introduction Have you ever watched a sandcastle wash away with the tide? One minute it’s there—magnificent, bold, ambitious—and the next, it’s gone. That’s what happened with Katerra, once valued at $4 billion. Katerra’s story is a cautionary tale about big dreams, bigger funding, and the
The story of Airlift’s rise and fall contains valuable lessons for entrepreneurs everywhere. As someone who’s built startups and now invests in them, I find Airlift’s journey particularly fascinating – a rocket ship that soared high before crashing back to earth. Introduction: Pakistan’s Shooting Star
Introduction Remember when getting your home cleaned was just a few clicks away? That was the promise of Homejoy. As someone who rode the startup rollercoaster myself before becoming an angel investor, Homejoy’s story hits close to home. This once-shining star raised $40 million, expanded
Introduction Remember when Google announced Stadia in 2019? The tech world buzzed with excitement. Cloud gaming seemed like the future—play anywhere, on any device, without expensive hardware. As someone who’s launched startups and now invests in them, I watched Stadia with particular interest. Here was
The story of Quiznos is fascinating – a once-thriving sandwich chain that pioneered toasted subs but ultimately crumbled under the weight of its own business model. As someone who’s been a part of the startup ecosystem for a long time, I’ve watched this saga unfold
The tech world is littered with the remains of once-promising startups that failed to live up to their potential. One such company was Doppler Labs, a hardware startup that aimed to revolutionize the way we experience sound. Despite raising over $50 million in funding and