You told me you’d acquire my startup and that you were a mentor. At the 11th hour you failed to come through and now I have to pick up the pieces again because our team was stretched too thin and no one concentrated on sales. I’m the idiot here.
9 answers from the community
Was it someone from the competition ?
By including the statement "I'm the idiot here" rather than "I'm the victim here" you demonstrate that you're not delusional. This happens all the time. The Who song, "Won't Get Fooled Again" might be a good anthem for you. Pick up the pieces and look for a better deal
I loved the OPs inclusion, and you're spot on.
Pete Townsend furiously strums his guitar in his signature windmill action in agreement!
Yes you are.
Here's the lesson. Until the money is in the bank you have to abide by this simple rule: ABC
Always Be Closing
Dry your tears, el foundero! Create a wool/wax/lego/whatever figure of your main contact at the company, yell and mutilate and stick needles in it while swilling get your fave cocktail, then chant his name 6X while you burn the effigy. If that mofo doesn't encounter bad luck for the next 3 months, then my name's not Internet Voodoo Ninja. You're welcome.
+1
It sucks that you had to learn this business lesson the hard way: It's never a done deal until it's a done deal.
Unless you have the physical contract paper in front of you, you better assume a deal is not going to happen (or well in status limbo). Otherwise you might adjust prematurely to that expected deal (e.g. changing spending habits, changing the work focus) and if it's not going to happen for whatever reason that could hurt your business (or your personal finances/plans).