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Why startups fail – the 8 patterns of failure (according to Eisenmann).

1. Catch-22: Founder cannot pursue opportunity without resources, but cannot attract resources until they've pursued the opportunity.
2. Good Idea, Bad Bedfellows: Startup with a promising opportunity falters due to deficiencies and dysfunction among key players (e.g. founders, team members, investors, strategic partners).
3. False Starts: Startup rushes to launch its first product before conducting enough customer research—only to find that the opportunities they’ve identified are rife with problems.
4. False Positives: Startup falls victim to premature scaling; expands too rapidly, without adequate resources to operate successfully at a higher scale.
5. Out of the Frying Pan: Late-stage missteps due to imbalance of speed and scope.
6. Speed Trap: By expanding at an unsustainable pace, late-stage startups fall prey to a speed trap.
7. Help Wanted: Startup sustains product-market fit as it grows but cannot mobilize the resources needed to continue expanding.
8. Moonshots and Miracles: Startup pursuing bold innovation faces many big challenges and a shortfall with any one of them will be sufficient to kill the venture. Consequently, the startup needs a cascade of miracles to succeed.

From the book: Why Startups Fail • Tom EISENMANN.