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AP

Avni Patel Thompson

01/31/19

@ Y Combinator

Even though we had a solid growth rate, it wasn't enough to sustain the business, leading me to consider shutting it down.

Video

YC

What Shutting Down Your Startup Feels Like - Avni Patel Thompson of Poppy with Kat Manalac

@ Y Combinator

What Shutting Down Your Startup Feels Like - Avni Patel Thompson of Poppy with Kat Manalac

01/31/19

Related Takeaways

DM

Danielle Morrill

02/24/15

@ Y Combinator

We had a beautiful growth graph, but we realized we were running a business with only a 5% margin, which isn't sustainable for a software company.

AP

Avni Patel Thompson

01/31/19

@ Y Combinator

The decision to shut down was influenced by the realization that our initial hypothesis about the business model wasn't panning out as expected.

GT

Garry Tan

06/08/23

@ Y Combinator

In 2010, despite two years of rapid growth, I failed to accept that our startup's growth had plateaued, which ultimately led to our downfall.

SB

Steve Ballmer

06/02/25

@ Acquired

By the end of my tenure, the stock price staying flat was frustrating, especially after tripling the business in a decade.

AC

Adora Cheung

07/31/14

@ Y Combinator

We realized that to grow our business, we needed to raise capital, as we had no money in the bank after three years of operation, and we didn't want to remain a lifestyle business.

AB

Andy Bromberg

09/15/18

@ Y Combinator

Ultimately, we decided to wind down Sidewire after realizing that the business model we envisioned wouldn't achieve the venture-scale returns our investors expected.

AP

Avni Patel Thompson

01/31/19

@ Y Combinator

I explored three options: pivoting the business, seeking acquisition, or shutting it down completely, ultimately deciding to close Poppy.

MS

Michael Seibel

05/07/22

@ Y Combinator

Taking a significant hit to your growth rate can be necessary to achieve a sustainable business model, similar to how personal bankruptcy allows individuals to clear debts and start fresh.

MK

Mike Krieger

06/05/25

@ Lenny's Podcast

I shut down Artifact because, despite loving the product, it wasn't growing as expected and I felt it was time to pivot to more impactful opportunities.