GoKawiilEntrepreneur shares five lessons on recovering from business failure
A Hong Kong-based entrepreneur recounts closing an Italian restaurant, a film production venture and a property business in the early-to-mid 1990s after misjudging unfamiliar industries. Drawing on those experiences and data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CB Insights, and the South China Morning Post, he outlines five lessons for founders on recognizing failure, stepping back, and trying again.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The piece frames business failure as statistically common rather than exceptional, citing figures showing roughly half of U.S. businesses fail within five years and tens of thousands of Hong Kong companies dissolved in 2025 alone. This normalization could help founders view setbacks as part of the entrepreneurial process rather than personal failure, according to the author's framing.
- Author closed a restaurant, film venture and property business in the 1990s after entering unfamiliar industries
- Cites BLS data showing about half of new U.S. businesses fail within five years
- Recommends partnering with experienced operators and acting quickly after learning from failure
Moleskine Classic Hardcover Notebook — When you're analyzing a failed venture to extract its lessons, having a dedicated notebook to journal decisions, warning signs, and post-mortems makes the reflection process tangible. Entrepreneurs rebuilding after setbacks often benefit from writing down what went wrong before rushing into the next venture. It's a simple, durable tool for the kind of deliberate self-study this article recommends.
See Moleskine Classic Hardcover Notebook on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: entrepreneur.com — William Louey, 2026-11-10
Published there as: “Failure Is Part of Entrepreneurship. These 5 Lessons Will Help You Recover.”
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