Who's failing right now?
Recent failures from 2024-2025. The bodies are still warm. The lessons are fresh.
Recent Failures
7
2024-2025
Money Burned
$4461M
And counting...
Status
BRUTAL
It's rough out there
The smartphone replacement nobody wanted
Built by ex-Apple designers. $699 wearable that projected UI on your hand. Overheated. Battery died in hours. Marques Brownlee called it 'the worst product I ever reviewed.' Returns outpaced sales. Devices stopped working Feb 28, 2025.
AI that converts Figma to code
YC-backed AI tool to convert Figma designs to code. Pivoted multiple times. Hit $1.5k MRR after a year. Couldn't raise seed. Shut down rather than continue. 'Startups are brutally hard' - CTO
When the internet went down
A rare race condition in DynamoDB's DNS management system cascaded into a 15-hour outage. Snapchat, Slack, Robinhood, Venmo, Roblox, Fortnite, Ring, Lyft, Pokémon GO - all down. The single point of failure everyone warned about finally failed.
The future of trucks (allegedly)
Promised $39k, delivered $100k+. Windows still don't work. Rust issues. Recall after recall.
Banking for underserved communities
YC-backed fintech bringing financial services to 'banking deserts.' Noble mission, tough economics. Couldn't secure follow-on funding. Shut down quietly in 2024.
Next-gen delivery network
Washington-based delivery startup. Raised $125M. Tried to compete with Amazon logistics. Turns out delivery is expensive and low margin. Shut down in 2024 after burning through funding.
Rapid unscheduled disassembly
SpaceX blew up 15+ Starship prototypes testing the world's largest rocket. Each explosion taught them something. SN8 belly-flopped. SN9 didn't light an engine. SN10 landed then exploded. Flight 3 made it to orbit. This is what productive failure looks like.
Document your failure before it's too late. Help others avoid your mistakes.
Share Your Story