Toplyne Shuts Down Operations: A Tough Call in Startup Survival

I just read about Toplyne.io shutting down its operations and returning the investors' money.

Following Ruchin and Toplyne.io for the last three years, I was a fan of their newsletter and marketing efforts.

I’m not sure what went wrong with the team or the company. Whenever I see a founder or business owner closing their business and letting go of their team, I recognize it's one of the hardest decisions any founder can make. I've been there—when you shut down your office and let your team go. Suddenly, you wake up the next day, and you don’t have anything to do. You're trying to figure out your next move and searching for the next idea to work on, all while dwelling on the ghost of your last startup.

I’m not talking about projects you try and fail at. It’s different when you take a leap of faith to start a new business. It becomes part of your identity, and you become obsessed with your work. It’s a lonely journey to lead and be a founder.

Recently, I was talking to a SaaS founder about product-market fit. My advice was simple: just survive the PMF cycle. The world does not need another CRM or tool. Also, no one owes you anything to become your customers or clients. Positioning becomes more crucial than anything. Every successful startup goes through the same journey. Just survive and get your hands dirty in the art of selling.