The Undertakers of Silicon Valley

When startups die, an industry is born

In Silicon Valley, losing money by the billions is a sign of revolutionary and bold ideas. Photo: Alex Kotliarskyi/Unsplash

By Adrian Daub

I am on the phone with the one-time owner of Kozmo.com. Back in 2001, Kozmo.com was going to deliver your Starbucks coffee in less than an hour. Its former owner is… not what you’d expect.

Martin Pichinson is about seventy, a former music manager who came to Silicon Valley in…