In 2019, full of youthful ambition 💪 and fueled by late-night coding sessions 💻, two friends and I launched Fawzlabs. It started as a part time job along with studies within our college’s startup incubator 💡, a service company offering web and mobile app development. We were building real-world applications for clients , and surprisingly, we were making good money 💰– enough to catch our attention.
The College Hustle – Sweet Success… or So We Thought 🤔
We were on top of the world! 🏆 Juggling classes, exams, and client projects was exhausting, but incredibly rewarding.
We were so successful that we chose to forgo our campus placements after graduation, a decision that many thought was insane 🤪. We were convinced we had something special ✨.
Beyond the Campus Gates – The Reality Check 😬
We took the plunge! We rented a bigger office, hired a few of our talented classmates, and officially became a “real” company. That’s when the cracks started to appear.
The carefully calculated expense projections we’d made in college? They were wildly inaccurate. Expenses ballooned month after month 📈. We were chasing payments from clients, and our cash flow was drying up fast 💸.
The Root of the Problem: Inexperience 🤦♂️
Looking back 👀, I realize the core problem wasn’t just the money, though that was certainly a big issue 😅. The real challenge was our inexperience. We were all techies, with solid college-level skills and plenty of self-taught knowledge. But that wasn’t enough.
None of us had ever worked in a professional company setting before. We lacked crucial business skills, managerial experience, and the seasoned perspective that comes from years in the industry.
We were trying to do everything: development, client communication, project management, sales 🤝… We were spread incredibly thin, and none of us were particularly good at anything besides coding. We had no proper processes in place, no experienced mentors to guide us, and no understanding of how to effectively manage a growing team. The lack of client handling skills led to delayed payments and lost revenue.
COVID and The Growing Fatigue
When COVID-19 hit, ironically, it didn’t crush us financially. We were able to transition to remote work, and by closing the physical office, we actually reduced our expenses. We started communicating with clients, and that was actually going well.
However, the situation only highlighted the fact that even though revenue was improving, client communications were growing, and the lack of ability to guide the clients the right way, and handling the stress of doing everything, made us feel very fed up. We realized that this was going to be the case for the next few years as well, and that got us thinking about the future of the company.
We were facing the problem that the revenue was getting better over time, but stress and client communication was making all of us fatigue. We made a very tough decision to stop Fawzlabs so we can free ourselves from the responsiblities. We were just so burnt out that, we were going to be more unproductive that we can imagine.
The Silver Lining: Invaluable Lessons 🌟
The decision to close Fawzlabs was painful 
, but it wasn’t a complete loss 
. As Richard Branson wisely said, “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” I learned more in those two years than I could have imagined.
Here are some key lessons I took away:
Tech Skills Aren’t Everything
Being a great developer is important, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Building a successful business requires a broad range of skills, including sales, marketing, finance, and management.
Experience Matters
Book knowledge and self-learning are valuable, but they can’t replace real-world experience. Working under experienced mentors in a professional setting is crucial for developing the skills you need to succeed.
Focus is the Key
Trying to do everything yourself is a recipe for disaster. Delegate tasks, build a strong team, and focus on your core strengths
.
Cash Flow is Still Important
Even with reduced expenses, managing cash flow meticulously is still essential 
. Track every expense, chase invoices aggressively. The better you communicate, the better you can track revenues.
Recognize Burnout and Take Action
It’s okay to prioritize your well-being. If you’re constantly stressed and burned out, it’s time to re-evaluate your situation and make a change for the better 
.
Moving On and Building Forward 
After Fawzlabs closed, we all went our separate ways 
, taking on roles in various tech companies. This experience has been invaluable 
. We’re finally getting the structured experience and mentorship we lacked before. I’m now a much more well-rounded developer, with a deeper understanding of the business side of things. I can confidently say that I have become thorough with technologies, can deliver faster , has learnt management.
The Future is Bright 
While Fawzlabs didn’t achieve its initial goals 
, it served as a powerful catalyst for personal and professional growth. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything 
. It taught me valuable lessons, forged strong bonds with my co-founders 
, and ultimately set me on a path toward a more fulfilling and successful career. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll use these lessons to build another startup – one that’s built to last.
What about you? 
Have you ever experienced startup failure or burnout? What lessons did you learn? Share your experiences in the comments below!
“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”
