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Dev tools · December 14, 2012

M4

My 4th failed startup (2nd due to user acquisition costs)

Hello HN, Later today I'll be shutting down the servers and moving on. This is my 5th startup and the 4th failure. The reason is very simple: I understimated the cost of user acquisition. This is the second time this happened. The dozens of users actually love the software and are using it on a daily basis. I'm ruthless when it comes to coding and money. So, if you are building a startup: do not ignore how much money you will have to spend to get a user. If you are not able to find that number, something could be wrong with your model. Maybe someone smarter than me could write something…

Alternativestop 23% of December 2012

What it does

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hello HN, Later today I'll be shutting down the servers and moving on. This is my 5th startup and the 4th failure. The reason is very simple: I understimated the cost of user acquisition. This is the second time this happened. The dozens of users actually love the software and are using it on a daily basis. I'm ruthless when it comes to coding and money. So, if you are building a startup: do not ignore how much money you will have to spend to get a user. If you are not able to find that number, something could be wrong with your model. Maybe someone smarter than me could write something elaborate about user acquisition costs. RIP https://www.condoly.com

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