Bad Endings, Good Endings

Tom Eisenmann, Harvard Business School
In conversation with: Tom Byers, Stanford University

As he studied the various causes of startup failure, Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann found a pattern of unfortunate missteps that were often repeated as ventures neared failure — mistakes that disadvantaged employees and alienated investors without saving the company in question. He suggests that there are better ways to fail, which can support customers and exiting employees, and also preserve relationships with investors.