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How to F*ck Up Your Startup: The Science Behind Why 90% of Companies Fail--and How You Can Avoid It
Every business owner dreams of success, but the majority of businesses are doomed to fail.
This book offers a journey through the pitfalls that cause 90% of companies to crash—and the crucial remedies entrepreneurs can use to avoid (or fix) them.
Kim Hvidkjaer was 29 years old when he became a millionaire. Two years later, after a cluster of disasters, he found himself basically broke. Now, having rebuilt his fortune as the founder of several successful enterprises and studied thousands of failed startups, Hvidkjaer has become an expert in failure: what it means, what it looks like, and the strategies that business owners can use to prevent it.
In How to F*ck Up Your Startup, he takes us on an entertaining and enlightening journey through the complex patterns of failure in the life cycle of a business, covering:
• Attitude mistakes
• Business model missteps
• Market research snafus
• Funding and financial blunders
• Product development errors
• Organization oversights
• Sales slip-ups
• Growing pains
Most important, he tackles what to do when your business has gone wrong.
Hvidkjaer fleshes out a tangible, usable blueprint for entrepreneurs looking to learn (the easy way) from the mistakes of businesses gone before. Chock-full of easy-to-follow business lessons that will keep you from f*cking up your startup, this down-to-earth guide offers crucial, actionable advice for seasoned business owners and startup founders alike.
A masterclass in failure, How to F*ck Up Your Startup is required reading for reaching success.
This book offers a journey through the pitfalls that cause 90% of companies to crash—and the crucial remedies entrepreneurs can use to avoid (or fix) them.
Kim Hvidkjaer was 29 years old when he became a millionaire. Two years later, after a cluster of disasters, he found himself basically broke. Now, having rebuilt his fortune as the founder of several successful enterprises and studied thousands of failed startups, Hvidkjaer has become an expert in failure: what it means, what it looks like, and the strategies that business owners can use to prevent it.
In How to F*ck Up Your Startup, he takes us on an entertaining and enlightening journey through the complex patterns of failure in the life cycle of a business, covering:
• Attitude mistakes
• Business model missteps
• Market research snafus
• Funding and financial blunders
• Product development errors
• Organization oversights
• Sales slip-ups
• Growing pains
Most important, he tackles what to do when your business has gone wrong.
Hvidkjaer fleshes out a tangible, usable blueprint for entrepreneurs looking to learn (the easy way) from the mistakes of businesses gone before. Chock-full of easy-to-follow business lessons that will keep you from f*cking up your startup, this down-to-earth guide offers crucial, actionable advice for seasoned business owners and startup founders alike.
A masterclass in failure, How to F*ck Up Your Startup is required reading for reaching success.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published February 8, 2022
80 people are currently reading
1273 people want to read
About the author
Kim Hvidkjaer
1 book56 followersKim Hvidkjaer is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and angel investor, having built companies from startup to exit in several industries.
He started his first company at the tender age of 19 years old, and as a 29-year-old millionaire, he was aptly named one of Denmark’s “6 Rising Stars.”
Two years later, after a cluster of f*ckups, he found himself broke—having lost more money than the average American earns in a lifetime.
Kim has since rebuilt his fortune through several startups and become an expert in failure.
He started his first company at the tender age of 19 years old, and as a 29-year-old millionaire, he was aptly named one of Denmark’s “6 Rising Stars.”
Two years later, after a cluster of f*ckups, he found himself broke—having lost more money than the average American earns in a lifetime.
Kim has since rebuilt his fortune through several startups and become an expert in failure.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 11, 2022
I read an advanced copy of this book thanks to #NetGalley and I have to say this book needs to become a go-to for everyone who wants to be an entrepreneur.
I’m in the process of starting my own company, which is why I chose to read this book, and it might’ve been the best decision I ever made! This book tackles all of the mistakes you can do when starting a company; from your attitude to sales, and everything in between, but it also proposes a way to fix the mistake. For me and my situation, the advice that works best is when it comes to budgeting,to keep my fixed and variable costs for twelve months at all times in my head and the 80/100 rule so I can focus on the important stuff. But the one I needed to hear the most, was the importance of having a sales program and sales metrics (what gets measured gets done).
I will definitely reread this book a couple more times, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything and that I can apply the information properly. Don’t give up, don’t die 💪🏼
I’m in the process of starting my own company, which is why I chose to read this book, and it might’ve been the best decision I ever made! This book tackles all of the mistakes you can do when starting a company; from your attitude to sales, and everything in between, but it also proposes a way to fix the mistake. For me and my situation, the advice that works best is when it comes to budgeting,to keep my fixed and variable costs for twelve months at all times in my head and the 80/100 rule so I can focus on the important stuff. But the one I needed to hear the most, was the importance of having a sales program and sales metrics (what gets measured gets done).
I will definitely reread this book a couple more times, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything and that I can apply the information properly. Don’t give up, don’t die 💪🏼
January 12, 2023
Pretty cool book, definitely super high level and very motivational! I wish the author went a little deeper on some topics but overall highly recommend for those thinking about startups!!!!
February 8, 2024
Don’t give up.
Don’t die.
another top, potentially life changing book
Don’t die.
another top, potentially life changing book
February 15, 2022
Thank you, BenBella Books, for giving me approval to read an e-ARC of this book for an honest review.
As a small business owner, I have read many business books that seemed to mostly repeat the information everyone else was sharing. This book, however, held both new and practical information I had not yet come across and I felt like I was being mentored by an entrepreneurial veteran. I appreciated that each pitfall was paired with a solution or fix to help you adjust your own business practices and avoid falling into the many traps he describes.
The book did seem to favor the tech industry in it’s examples, which in turn made it a tad bit difficult to understand at times for someone running a non-tech business, but I was still able to understand the underlying points.
Overall, this book was extremely helpful and I will be using it as a reference in the future.
As a small business owner, I have read many business books that seemed to mostly repeat the information everyone else was sharing. This book, however, held both new and practical information I had not yet come across and I felt like I was being mentored by an entrepreneurial veteran. I appreciated that each pitfall was paired with a solution or fix to help you adjust your own business practices and avoid falling into the many traps he describes.
The book did seem to favor the tech industry in it’s examples, which in turn made it a tad bit difficult to understand at times for someone running a non-tech business, but I was still able to understand the underlying points.
Overall, this book was extremely helpful and I will be using it as a reference in the future.
February 19, 2022
No idea where to start when talking about this great book! I have finished it in one go and enjoyed every page. If you're an entrepreneur, go and invest your time in this book in the first place. Definitely can confirm from my own experience that the value of the information is incredibly useful if you take action. The book covers all the areas of start up potential fails (at least all I know about) and gives a very cheerful advice on how to avoid them. If you never ran your own busines, this book is a very good guide on what not to. You are alerted when you know what potentially to expect..
March 1, 2022
"This book actually changed my mind about how to look at startups. It is advocating that you need to understand the problems that startups face (the mines of the minefield as Kim calls it), before in order to be able to recognize the patterns of these problems. It's kinda the opposite of a ""my way to success""-story, but made so much sense."
February 26, 2022
I wish I had this book some 11 years ago when I started building several companies. It would have made a great difference, and I would clearly have avoided some problems I've faced. It's a very good book and I like the approach.
July 20, 2024
This book is not for the faint of heart, nor is entrepreneurship so it is fitting for its target audience. How to F*ck up Your Startup hits close to home in several areas and also reveals some issues that certainly lie in the wait. Kim Hvidkjaer shares countless case studies of startups failing, including some of his own mistakes made earlier in the career. As 90% of startups fail, Hvidkjaer attempts to help the would be founder avoid common pitfalls, potential setbacks, and landmines that can be avoided with proper planning and foresight. Topics discussed: business models, market research, funding, product development, organization structure, sales, growth, and the unknown.
My biggest take away from this book was to hire a CPA early and when the time is right a CFO. Several CEO’s try and manage financials which can be a deadly mistake if they do not have a proclivity for forecasting and book keeping. It also can hold them back from focusing on the greater vision and project management. You don’t get far while plate spinning. Lots of great information in How to F*ck up your Start up. I would definitely recommend it to my fellow entrepreneurs and anyone thinking of chasing a dream.
WARNING: it can be depressing reading about all the facts and figures of failing businesses but Hvidkjaer does provide encouragement here and there. He concludes the book with what he calls Rule Zero.” DON’T DIE! And if you do, start again because failure is the stepping stone to success.
GODSPEED.
Z
My biggest take away from this book was to hire a CPA early and when the time is right a CFO. Several CEO’s try and manage financials which can be a deadly mistake if they do not have a proclivity for forecasting and book keeping. It also can hold them back from focusing on the greater vision and project management. You don’t get far while plate spinning. Lots of great information in How to F*ck up your Start up. I would definitely recommend it to my fellow entrepreneurs and anyone thinking of chasing a dream.
WARNING: it can be depressing reading about all the facts and figures of failing businesses but Hvidkjaer does provide encouragement here and there. He concludes the book with what he calls Rule Zero.” DON’T DIE! And if you do, start again because failure is the stepping stone to success.
GODSPEED.
Z
October 30, 2024
Here’s the gist of How to Fck Up Your Startup* by Kim Hvidkjaer:
1. Watch Out for Classic Mistakes:
Startups often fail because of avoidable errors, like launching too soon or hiring the wrong people. Knowing these common mistakes helps you dodge them.
Balance Big Dreams with Realism:
2. Having a vision is great, but stay grounded.
Test your ideas with real customers and don’t let grand dreams distract you from practical decisions.
3. Keep Your Finances in Check:
Many startups fail because they run out of cash. Stick to your budget, manage your money wisely, and think long-term.
4. Failing Isn’t All Bad:
Failure can actually be valuable. Learn from setbacks and use them to make better choices the next time.
5. Make Sure People Actually Want What You’re Selling:
Timing and market fit matter a lot. Launch at the right moment and solve real problems for real customers to avoid flopping.
6. Build a Positive Team Culture Early On:
A strong culture attracts good people. Setting clear values from the start makes it easier to grow with a team you can trust.
7. Be Ready to Pivot:
Sometimes, the original idea needs tweaking. Staying flexible and open to change helps you survive and thrive.
In short, the book offers smart tips and real talk about what can go wrong and how to avoid it. It's like having a friend who’s been through it all and wants to save you from their mistakes.
1. Watch Out for Classic Mistakes:
Startups often fail because of avoidable errors, like launching too soon or hiring the wrong people. Knowing these common mistakes helps you dodge them.
Balance Big Dreams with Realism:
2. Having a vision is great, but stay grounded.
Test your ideas with real customers and don’t let grand dreams distract you from practical decisions.
3. Keep Your Finances in Check:
Many startups fail because they run out of cash. Stick to your budget, manage your money wisely, and think long-term.
4. Failing Isn’t All Bad:
Failure can actually be valuable. Learn from setbacks and use them to make better choices the next time.
5. Make Sure People Actually Want What You’re Selling:
Timing and market fit matter a lot. Launch at the right moment and solve real problems for real customers to avoid flopping.
6. Build a Positive Team Culture Early On:
A strong culture attracts good people. Setting clear values from the start makes it easier to grow with a team you can trust.
7. Be Ready to Pivot:
Sometimes, the original idea needs tweaking. Staying flexible and open to change helps you survive and thrive.
In short, the book offers smart tips and real talk about what can go wrong and how to avoid it. It's like having a friend who’s been through it all and wants to save you from their mistakes.
November 27, 2023
Definitely worth a read, just know that is very lighthearted and very high-level in terms of its exposition of the dangers and pitfalls. What makes it engaging is that the author took to the time to analyze and dissect not only his own failures but those of others as well.
If you were to ask someone to write a Disneyfied, PG-13 version of "The Hard thing about Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz, this book is more or less what you'd get.
If you were to ask someone to write a Disneyfied, PG-13 version of "The Hard thing about Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz, this book is more or less what you'd get.
December 23, 2024
A must read AND implement for startup founders.
Having been in three hardware and one edutech startup, the information condensed in the book was nothing new. Despite that, I highly appreciate how it's summarised and how the author not only points out the potential mistakes, but also fixes for each problem.
I've seen many pitfalls mentioned in the book play out and can thus only highly recommend this book for anyone dabbling with startups.
Having been in three hardware and one edutech startup, the information condensed in the book was nothing new. Despite that, I highly appreciate how it's summarised and how the author not only points out the potential mistakes, but also fixes for each problem.
I've seen many pitfalls mentioned in the book play out and can thus only highly recommend this book for anyone dabbling with startups.
February 3, 2022
2/5 stars!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The premise of this one is very intriguing to me as someone who wanted to launch my own business soon. However, I didn't get much from this one and the anecdotes took too much space compared to the actual tips and knowledge to be imparted.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The premise of this one is very intriguing to me as someone who wanted to launch my own business soon. However, I didn't get much from this one and the anecdotes took too much space compared to the actual tips and knowledge to be imparted.
February 23, 2022
I work in a startup and really liked it. For anyone considering startups, I’d highly recommend this book. Kim has shared a lot of insights from his own and other founders experience that are very valuable. There are some fancy terms also, but I’ll forgive that as they do make sense and the overall idea is quite solid and I’m certainly smarter after having read it.
February 25, 2022
As an aspirational entrepreneur with an engineering degree, this book really works for me. It does have many tech-examples (also many other industries), but I think this makes sense, as many companies today probably will have "a bit of tech" in them. Some of the ideas are very simple, other more complex - but overall they certainly gave me new inspiration and knowledge.
March 6, 2024
A great lessons collection
I've failed in many ventures, most of them because I quitted too fast. However, I've never given up my dream of building my own company.
Kim without a doubt has provided me new tools that I'd try applying to new ventures since one thing is clear, I want to become not only a wannapreneur, but a real entrepreneur like him and many more.
I've failed in many ventures, most of them because I quitted too fast. However, I've never given up my dream of building my own company.
Kim without a doubt has provided me new tools that I'd try applying to new ventures since one thing is clear, I want to become not only a wannapreneur, but a real entrepreneur like him and many more.
August 14, 2025
This could've been a Medium article. The lessons were quite generic and intuitive if you've had exposure to startups already, and each lesson had only one or two company examples, many of which were old and extremely obvious (e.g., Kodak, Xerox, Blockbuster). The interesting chapter titles misled me into thinking there was something worth reading on for.
March 3, 2022
Good book, good ideas and I like the writing style. Some areas are a bit more advanced than my level, but still helped me improve my knowledge in the startup world a lot more than my college business class could
May 24, 2022
This is a both intelligent and intriguing book on startups. Kim shares original (and practical) ideas, which will categorically increase the likelihood of success for any business-owner. That's a pretty obvious recommendation.
May 24, 2022
Highly recommend this, keep up the good work! Will definitely read here when I find something more interesting
December 16, 2022
Eye opening book for a variety of topics were founders / startups could go wrong. Nicely organized and ordered. Will definitely need to keep it close as a periodic read as a founder
January 16, 2023
Very interesting book, is like a checklist of things you shouldn't do and check it frequently. If you do lack a skill of a fuckup, level up that skill. The last chapter is the most interesting to me.
March 25, 2023
Great insights
Quite practical book, I like that he talks about failure and suggest alternatives. The examples are great too, good book.
Quite practical book, I like that he talks about failure and suggest alternatives. The examples are great too, good book.
January 3, 2024
A good book that you should often check back on to avoid mistakes. Too much formatting-caused BS though.
June 12, 2024
Solid advice, nice delivery, and generally great content. Sometimes it was a bit overly black and white on complicated topics, but for the most part good suggestions on what not to do.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews