I thought Streamline had some great ideas. It spent a long time working on a system that would let it deliver stuff while you were out, but the company could never make the numbers work. You should stay home, you shouldn't take risks, and there's no place like home. Every start-up is an adventure, and most fail. The lesson in the failures described here is that, in addition to good marketing, decent fulfillment, and proper scale, you need the financial strength to stay the course.
Money buys time, and even good business models take time to develop.
Even if you loved a start-up and lost, however, you've had an adventure and are ready for another one. Another ship will beckon and another and another. Some will founder, but some are bound for glory. The only way you'll know which is which is to get on board. Dana Blankenhorn has been a business reporter for 20 years.