Failing Forward: Lessons From My Startup Journey With Creative Log
As founders, we often hear stories of success—of startups that launch, gain traction, and scale to new heights. But what we don’t hear as much about are the failures, the missteps, and the hard lessons learned along the way. Yet, it’s those failures that teach us the most. And that’s why, in some ways, I want you to fail. Not because I want to see you struggle, but because I know that failure can be the most valuable part of your journey.
I’ve been through it myself. My startup, Creative Log, was my biggest teacher. Here’s how failure shaped not only the company but also my entire entrepreneurial mindset.
The Excitement of the Epic Launch
Creative Log had what I thought was the perfect start. On launch day, we gained over 100 users. It felt incredible—like all the hard work had finally paid off. The excitement within the team was electric. We had signups, we had validation. Or so we thought.
But looking back, I realize we were celebrating the wrong thing. We were so focused on the number of signups that we completely overlooked what actually mattered: retention. Getting 100 people to sign up was great, but getting them to stay and use the product long-term was the real challenge. We didn’t see that at the time, and it was our first big lesson.
The Reality Check: Bug Reports and Overwhelm
With over 100 users came something we hadn’t anticipated: hundreds of bug reports. Suddenly, what we thought was a flawless platform was being picked apart by our new users. Some members of the team were freaked out, others were frustrated. We hadn’t prepared ourselves for this, and instead of seeing the bug reports as an opportunity for improvement, we saw them as setbacks.
We were overwhelmed. But what we didn’t realize then was that this was all part of the journey. The feedback we were getting—no matter how harsh it seemed—was invaluable. It was showing us where we needed to improve. Yet, instead of embracing it, we panicked.
The Secrecy of the Rebuild: A Missed Opportunity
In response to the feedback, we decided to rebuild the platform. But here’s where we made a critical mistake: we did it in secrecy. Rather than reaching back out to our users for more feedback and involving them in the process, we shut ourselves off from them and worked in isolation.
When we finally finished rebuilding and relaunched, we found that our initial users had moved on. They had found other platforms, and we were left having to acquire a new set of customers from scratch. We lost the chance to build something with our users, for our users.
Focusing on the Wrong Things: The Cost of Misdirected Energy
At the same time, we got caught up in the buzz of marketing, social media, and community building. We were putting all our energy into creating outreach strategies and growing our online presence, without a solid product to back it up.
This was another big mistake. We were burning through money without realizing how much we needed to direct our focus toward product development. The excitement of growth and visibility overshadowed the fact that we didn’t have the foundation—the platform—that could support it.
At one point, we even decided to separate our social media presence from our product. To become a resource for knowledge on one side while building a “killer” product on the other. Massive red flag if I think about it now.
The Never-Ending Pivots: Moving Without Direction
We iterated. We launched. We relaunched. And we pivoted—many times. Yet, throughout all those changes, we never truly communicated with our users. We never asked them about their pain points or what they needed from us. We were always guessing, always assuming, and always trying to be something else.
Creative Log started as a project management tool but ended up as a jobs board, competing with platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. But the truth is, we were never as good as either. We were constantly shifting directions without ever perfecting one thing. We were chasing trends instead of solving real problems.
The Silver Lining: What Creative Log’s Failure Taught Me
Although Creative Log didn’t succeed, it wasn’t a total loss. In fact, it turned out to be one of the most valuable experiences of my career.
Through the failure of Creative Log, I was introduced to the startup community in a way I never expected. I went on to co-found Founderopedia, a community of over 5,000 founders. The connections I made along the way were invaluable, giving me opportunities to mentor others, gain a strong reputation in the freelance community, and learn lessons that shaped the rest of my career.
Most importantly, Creative Log gave me the technical experience that eventually led me to some amazing job roles. It taught me how to lead a team, how to build a product, and how to handle the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. So while the company itself may have failed, the experience was priceless.
Why I Want You to Fail
I don’t wish failure on anyone. But I do think every founder should experience it at least once. Not because I enjoy watching others struggle, but because I know how transformative failure can be.
Failure forces you to reflect. It makes you question your assumptions, your decisions, and your direction. It teaches you lessons that success never can. And once you’ve learned from it, you come back stronger, wiser, and more prepared to tackle whatever comes next.
So, if you’re building something, don’t be afraid of failing. Don’t fear the mistakes or the setbacks. Embrace them, learn from them, and use them as fuel for your next venture. Because failure isn’t the end—it’s just part of the process.
Failure is inevitable in the world of startups. But it’s also invaluable. It teaches you what success often doesn’t, and it sets the stage for future growth. If you’re a founder, don’t shy away from failure. Lean into it, learn from it, and come out the other side even stronger. 💪