Buster Benson

In the excitement that swirls around startups, sometimes we often forget that most entrepreneurial ventures end in failure. That’s why it was so good to see Seattle entrepreneur Buster Benson lay it on the line in a blog post this week in which he described the emotions around closing his startup company, Habit Labs.

Even better was the fact that, despite the failure of Habit Labs, Benson says he’s pressing on.

“Companies, at least the kinds that I’m interested in building, are voyages into the unknown. They become tales of inspiration, and people are rallied, and they hop in a boat and sail off… but not very many of them find a shore,” he writes. “My fear of disappointing people has set off its alarm many times over the last 6 months. Investors, employees, people who use the sites, family, friends.”

Benson, who previously founded the Robot Co-op, now owned by Amazon.com, has returned to the online retailer as a contractor (He worked at Amazon from 1998 to 2004). But Benson, in his post, says he’s not giving up just because Habit Labs didn’t work out.

“Quite the opposite. As ugly and awkward as it is to take three strikes and refuse to walk away from the batters’ box, I plan to keep throwing myself against the wall of technology and behavior change and making life better until something gives. Either my head’s gonna crack open or the brick’s gonna start chipping,” he said. “Remember, we all die in the end anyway. Nobody’s going to be using this skull after I’m done with it so might as well give it a good pounding.”

Here’s my favorite lesson from Benson’s post:

Failure doesn’t hurt that much as long as you haven’t betrayed yourself or those who’ve agreed to come on the ship with you.

Read the full post — A duck bears no grudges — here.

Previously on GeekWireBuster Benson to sell Health Month, unveils Hipster Habit App

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