Denver Founders Network: Startup Horror Stories 👻🎃
📅 Thursday, October 29 | 6:00 PM 📍 ID345 · 3960 High St, Denver, CO 80205 📍 NEW LOCATION! After years of generous hosting by D & Jo at Alchemy Security, the DFN pirate ship has a new dock. We're dropping anchor at ID345!
Tall tales of woe from the crypt. Cue the spooky music. Hang the spiderwebs. Put the pumpkins out front. And ssssssshhhh… it’s time to share some startup tales of woe. Bad partnerships. VCs who took board seats, ran out of money in 2021, and still hold those seats. Your company IPOs, your personal paper value hits $2.8 billion during the lockup period, then the lockup expires, the stock crashes, and suddenly your paper fortune is worth next to nothing. Hiring mistakes. Deals gone sideways. Decisions you wish you could take back. And sometimes, COVID kills your business.
I've told a few startup horror stories in my time. Maybe I'll tell one again. Denver Founders Network is bringing back an old tradition: an evening of honest stories, hard-earned lessons, and a few laughs about the messy reality of building companies. Because sometimes, the best lessons come from knowing you're not the only one who's been through it.
Kristin Darga will moderate the evening—and she has plenty of startup stories of her own. Kristin is a Denver-based executive coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning author. She founded Impact Founder in 2015 and Black Label Coaching, and has coached more than 500 executives, helping founders and leaders navigate leadership challenges, mental health, and burnout.
A few ground rules
This is a space to be open, honest, and supportive of one another.
- Let's keep it in the room. Please respect everyone's privacy and don't share someone else's story outside the event.
- No recording. Let's make it easy for everyone to speak freely.
- Come as you are. Share a story, listen, ask questions, or just enjoy the company. There's no pressure to share, and no judgment.
The goal is simple: learn from each other, laugh about some of the bumps along the way, and make the founder journey a little less lonely. Come swap some startup horror stories, commiserate with your fellow founders, and maybe feel a little better about your own disasters. We've all got 'em.
📍 REMINDER: NEW LOCATION!
ID345 · 3960 High St, Denver, CO 80205
A big thanks to Danny, an OG entrepreneur and longtime community builder, for welcoming the DFN pirate ship to ID345 and supporting Denver's startup community. Thanks for giving us a new home!
Did you notice the new location? 😂 See ya there!
