This page is part of the MAQTOOB Heritage archive. The essay described here appeared on MAQTOOB for Entrepreneurs, the Medium publication run by this domain’s original team between 2015 and 2018. The current site is under new, independent ownership and is not affiliated with the original company or the essay’s author. We keep this record because other sites still link to the essay at this address.
What the Essay Said
Published on July 17, 2016, this is Alex Fishman’s practical sequel to the story of deciding to close Dishero. The first piece covered the 36 hours that led to the decision. This one covers the next 36 hours, the time it took to actually wind the company down.
His logic was financial: a company burning $100,000 a month spends roughly $5,000 every day, so once the decision is made, speed preserves the investors’ remaining capital. The essay walks through layoffs, notifying customers and investors, and the legal and accounting steps of a graceful shutdown, based on notes he originally shared with the K9 Ventures founder community. He framed it as the guide he wished existed: no one can tell you when to close your startup, but once you decide, this can save time, money, and unpleasant surprises.
Read the Original
The author keeps the essay on Medium: read it here. The companion piece is archived at My Cofounder Said “I Love What We’re Doing” and We Shut Down Our Startup.