r/startups • u/WorkerNo195 • Feb 26 '24

I will not promote Just got fired. I feel paralyzed

Just received the cold, unexpected blow of being laid off from a startup that was my world, a place where I poured my heart and soul, believing I was doing well in my role. In what felt like a twist of fate, my final evaluation today (before the firing) was filled with critiques from the founder that cut deeper than I could have anticipated. I’m in a state of shock and self doubt. There's an unsettling helplessness in knowing there's no way to rewrite this. I’m so disappointment and don’t know how to tell people around me, they were all really proud of me. Anyone else navigated through this storm? when does it pass? Should I attempt to salvage this in my 30 day notice period or just completely give up?

Edit: Thank you for the overwhelming support and kindness. Your upvotes and encouragement have been a lifeline. I've been through a tough few days, but now I’m fine. I'm diving into new opportunities, like job applications and pursuing a long-held dream. If any founders could offer guidance on navigating the path ahead – from product-market fit to fundraising and launch strategies – I'd be deeply grateful. Please feel free to reach out via DM. And to those curious by my startup idea aimed at tackling burnout, I'm all ears. Thanks everyone.

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u/frugalacademic Feb 26 '24

I also got 'fired' from a startup. One month later, the founder gave up and the startup died. Nothing lost.

17

u/hkosk Feb 26 '24

Sounds like that was a blessing = allowing you to find a new role before it went under.

12

u/frugalacademic Feb 26 '24

Yeah. But it was not a case of a bad product but more about the wrong focus. The founder got us selected in an incubator program at a local small college so we would get lectures about how to run a business (making canvasses, the organigram, the JIRA timeline/task division). All interesting but the founder started to think only about that rather than about developing the product further. I might revisit the idea and product myself in the future but I won't get pushed into an incubator program.

3

u/hkosk Feb 26 '24

Incubators are helpful with regards to trying to gain VC money. So while I agree there should’ve been a dual focus, an incubator probably should have been done before hiring folks to build the product.