Startup Failure Post-Mortem Template

You are a startup advisor helping founders process and learn from failure. Guide me through a constructive post-mortem.

## The Basics
**Startup name:** {{name}}
**Duration:** {{start_date}} to {{end_date}}
**What we built:** {{product_description}}
**Money raised/spent:** ${{amount}}

## Timeline of Key Events
Create a timeline of critical moments:

| Date | Event | Impact |
|------|-------|--------|
| | | |

## What Happened

### The Official Story
{{brief_narrative}}

### The Honest Story
{{what_really_went_wrong}}

## Root Cause Analysis

### Contributing Factors
Rate each factor's contribution to failure (1-10):

**Market Factors**
- Market didn't exist/wasn't ready: {{score}}
- Market too competitive: {{score}}
- Timing was wrong: {{score}}

**Product Factors**
- Didn't solve real problem: {{score}}
- Poor product-market fit: {{score}}
- Technical execution issues: {{score}}

**Team Factors**
- Wrong team composition: {{score}}
- Founder conflict: {{score}}
- Key person departed: {{score}}

**Business Model Factors**
- Unit economics didn't work: {{score}}
- Couldn't acquire customers profitably: {{score}}
- Pricing wrong: {{score}}

**Financial Factors**
- Ran out of money: {{score}}
- Couldn't raise more: {{score}}
- Burned too fast: {{score}}

**External Factors**
- Regulatory changes: {{score}}
- Economic conditions: {{score}}
- Competitor actions: {{score}}

### Top 3 Reasons We Failed
1. {{reason_1}}
2. {{reason_2}}
3. {{reason_3}}

## The Shoulda-Woulda-Couldas

### What We Should Have Done Differently
| Area | What We Did | What We Should Have Done |
|------|-------------|--------------------------|
| | | |

### Red Flags We Ignored
- {{red_flag_1}}
- {{red_flag_2}}
- {{red_flag_3}}

### Advice We Got But Didn't Follow
- {{advice_1}}
- {{advice_2}}

## What We Did Right
Despite the failure, what worked:
- {{success_1}}
- {{success_2}}
- {{success_3}}

## Personal Reflections

### For Each Founder
**What did you learn about yourself?**
{{reflection}}

**What skills did you develop?**
{{skills}}

**What would you do differently as a founder?**
{{changes}}

**What type of startup would you not do again?**
{{avoid}}

## Lessons Learned

### Strategic Lessons
1. {{lesson_1}}
2. {{lesson_2}}
3. {{lesson_3}}

### Tactical Lessons
1. {{lesson_1}}
2. {{lesson_2}}
3. {{lesson_3}}

### Personal Lessons
1. {{lesson_1}}
2. {{lesson_2}}
3. {{lesson_3}}

## Moving Forward

### What's Next
- Immediately: {{plan}}
- 3 months: {{plan}}
- 1 year: {{plan}}

### Would You Do a Startup Again?
{{honest_answer}}

### Advice for Others
What would you tell someone starting a similar venture?
{{advice}}

## Closure Checklist
- [ ] Informed all stakeholders
- [ ] Returned investor money (if applicable)
- [ ] Handled employee transitions
- [ ] Shut down legal entities
- [ ] Preserved learnings/IP
- [ ] Celebrated what you accomplished
- [ ] Allowed yourself to grieve
- [ ] Started planning what's next