What are the top reasons that startups fail?
Most startups fail obviously because of under-capitalization. Finance withstanding, what other reasons reasons do you believe that startups fail?
Expert Answers
Sort by Date
Sort by Votes
Feb 24, 2021
Here are the top reasons of startups fail:
• Lack of demand for your products: Many businesses don’t understand their customers' needs and analyze if their products perform well or not before launching in the market.
• Many business owners cannot identify cash flow problems, including low-profit margin, high payroll costs, delayed payments from clients, etc.
• Poor leadership and a weak team are also two of the main reasons behind the business failure.
• Marketing is one of the main factors for a successful business. Without a strong marketing presence, you can’t reach potential customers.
• Customer feedbacks always matter. When you don’t keep updating your products according to your customers' expectations, your business might lead to failure.
Feb 20, 2021
Nice and most valid question. As far as my concern, lack of an up-to-date business model related to the top-trends in the market is also one of the superior reasons among all. Recently, the mobile app-based business is highly essential to capture a huge range of customers and attain a quick familiarity in the market. Some of the reasons you must concentrate are listed as follows;
There is no cope up with the latest trends
Absence of advanced startup model
Inclusion of improper features
No options to capture the customers
Paper-based workflow
Unstable communication platform between customers and startup owners
Addressing these issues by hiring the perfect tech-partner and also building the on-demand multi-services business model definitely makes the startups successful.
Feb 19, 2021
Startups fail when they don't solve market problems. We weren't solving a big enough problem that we could serve it universally with a scalable solution. We had great technology, great customer behavior data, great reputation, great experience, great advisors, etc. But we didn't have the technology or the business model to solve the problem across scales. Startups are looking at microservices consulting services to create an architecture from the ground up to work the way Netflix does.
Sep 23, 2014
1) Undercapitalization at start-up is THE key factor.
2) Owners take too much money out of the business as they see $ start flowing in.
3) Unrealistic expectations about the amount of time and effort that's involved in running a business.
4) Trying to do everything without having a support team in place. No one can be equally good at providing the good or service, looking after the money and finances, and promoting the product or business. Do what you are most PASSIONATE about doing, and hire good people with integrity to help you with the rest.
Jul 10, 2014
Hi Kevin,
Start-up fails because they don't have enough source and knowledge to build up their projects. Their main aim is to target money not for client satisfaction. And most importantly they don't know the marketing standards.
Jul 10, 2014
Adding up a few more, it could also hold the reason of not knowing the possibilities of solving the problems of their consumers; instead of devising a product they do come with the new ideas that still extends the road wider with no solution.
One other causes would be the improper leadership that drops out a better action, operation and many to go.
A better focus knowing the competitive edge will always thrive in a beneficial value.
Jul 10, 2014
Hi Kevin, I would have to say that one of the biggest reasons that I feel why most start-ups fail is that, they don't take enough risks.
The opportunities to learn are endless so start-ups shouldn’t be afraid to break out of their comfort zones. Embracing every opportunity that comes their way is key for growth.
Jul 10, 2014
Lack of business skills, not technical skills I believe is the number one reason. That and a lack of selling skills. At start up you have time, which can be turned into income, but talking to people who don't buy costs the business a fortune in lost income.
Jul 10, 2014
1) Not having a value proposition that makes them stand out from their competition.
2) Poor communications and treatment of clients
3) Over promising and under delivering
4) Not pivoting the business in a different direction soon enough
5) Not paying enough attention to what the financials are saying every month
6) Taking too much money out of the business too early
7) Employees not having the right skill set
8) Not understanding the market and consumer behaviour
Jul 10, 2014
Top (for me)
1. No consideration for the market (bad idea) - when you are doing a product for products sake. i.e. building a restaurant app without checking it with actual restaurant before and during your development can have devastating results. Consider an app that allows you to download the app from app store in order to be able order at a restaurant while sitting in the restaurant (dining-in). There are couple of solutions like that in the open.
2. no work on sales/marketing - startups fail to organize and work the sales / marketing part, taking care of the basic product only. Sales and marketing strategies are done while product is built.
3. loosing focus - startups tend to loose focus while creating the initial product, not following the strict definition they set up on the start; new ideas come up during development and project grows in size, becoming more expensive and delaying launch. This threat mostly comes from "top level management" with "ideas" that pop up every day, depending on their mood, current weater, local tv programme or the dinner talk they had last evening (you pick).
As Adam said, under-capitalisation is something that actually might not be the reason at all, depending on the industry you are competing in.
Jul 10, 2014
Every failure comes with an excuse of slowdown, lack of skills, absence of culture, finance and competition.
Theodore Levitt says Every major industry was once a growth industry. But some that are now riding a wave of growth enthusiasm are very much in the shadow of decline. Others, which are thought of as seasoned growth industries, have actually stopped growing. In every case the growth is threatened, slowed, or stopped is not because the market is saturated. It is because there has been a failure of management.
In my opinion, Start-ups fail in forming a vision/strategy and if they have a vision & strategy in place, they fail transforming it in balanced score card and day to day activity. All the internal and external factors follows later. Start-up fails because its management fails.
Jul 9, 2014
Motivation, lack of relevant skills (i.e. trying to do everything yourself), ignorance, lack of adequate research, lack of dedication.
Jul 9, 2014
I think the top reason why startups fail because they don't know their target market and also they are not able to know who really is their market and what the market need.
Jul 9, 2014
Misunderstanding the market in which the business is engaged.
Misunderstanding the competition.
An unwillingness to adjust when it becomes apparent that "the product" isn't selling.
Jul 9, 2014
Hi Kevin,
Other reasons that start-ups fail, in my opinion would be no consistent corporate culture. employees in positions that they may not be suited for, working in an environment where the stakeholder(s) cannot mentally adjust to delegating, too much micro-management are a few that come to mind.
Jul 9, 2014
I think it depends heavily on what type of industry it is. For example, Web Design doesn't have a huge start up cost but if you don't have consistent deals in the door, you cant thrive. Same for a restaurant.
If you sell a product, not having enough inventory, a big R&D budget, or a large volume of sales could all be valid reasons.
What type of start up are you referring to? I think once we know that, the community will be better suited to answer
Jul 9, 2014
Along the same lines as undercapitalization.
Don't understand the "Numbers" and how they relate to the business activity.
Have failed to vet the viability of the product in the marketplace. (Just because it is a good idea does not mean someone will pay you for it!)
Having the wrong people/plan.
Failing to adapt to changing circumstances or changes in understanding of circumstances. Alternatively adapting too quickly to perceived changes.
I'm sure there are more, but those are the initial ones that come to mind.
hello Elaine,I agree with points mentioned by you.Planning,Vision,Perfection are some initial steps to know before start any kind of business.