The story of Proteau and John deBary is tragic, but not for the reasons you might think.
Having investors decide to stop funding you because they realized your product doesn't fit in their portfolio is sad.
Pouring your heart and soul into creating a product and not being able to fully bring it to market is sad.
Running out of inventory when people like your product is sad.
The false belief that founding a brand requires being essentially "knighted" is tragic.
Regardless of talent and experience and potential, founding a business is not about being discovered, like a pretty girl plucked out of a crowd to become a runway model.
Sales is the most fundamental aspect of business:
Selling your company to potential employees.
Selling your product to retail buyers.
Selling your product to consumers.
Selling yourself to investors.
You can have a business without building a product (reselling), but you can't have a business without sales.
Given his clear talent, ambition, and the warm reception his product received, I can't help but hope that Mr. deBary will try again someday, this time with a sales-first mindset. His business folded, but he is not a failure. The only true and lasting failure is failure of learning and growth.
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