Thanks for sharing. Sorry if this note is starkly worded. I think the short answer to your company’s demise was that you were in over your head. I’m not sure you’ve truly owned that yet. Maybe you have. You seem to say as much, but I’m not sure I believe it.

You mentioned good intentions. The intention to do something right isn’t enough. In fact, it isn’t anything. Good intentions are like opinions — they’re free and everybody’s got at least one. To succeed, you have to know what you’re good at; do that and be humble about the rest. It’s not about hiring to shore up your weak areas, it’s about partnering with others who do what they’re really good at and learning from them.

For the record: The road to hell is not littered with good intentions. It’s paved with them. That’s not a minor distinction.