What's it really like when your startup fails? – Alessa Vogler, dropp | Rising Stars powered by Fiverr

About this episode

Failure is part of entrepreneurship – yet hardly anyone talks about it openly. Alessa Vogler, founder of delivery service dropp, experienced exactly this difficult phase: Everything looked successful from the outside for a long time, but at the end of 2022, her company had to file for insolvency.

From success story to insolvency

Alessa Vogler launched dropp as a delivery service specifically for e-commerce shops. The timing seemed perfect, there was demand, and the company grew. But behind the scenes, a different story was developing – one that shows how complex and unpredictable startup life really can be.

Then came the turning point at the end of 2022: dropp had to file for preliminary insolvency. What looked like a sudden fall from the outside was actually the result of various factors that had built up over time.

Complexity as a stumbling block

A central problem at dropp was the complexity of the business model. This multi-layered approach ultimately prevented the company's profitability. Hypotheses that looked promising at the beginning were not confirmed in hindsight and hampered growth.

This is an important insight for founders: A complex business model doesn't automatically mean a better or more valuable company. Often the opposite is true – simplicity and clear value propositions lead to success more quickly.

The difficult path to recognition

The process toward insolvency wasn't creeping – the company definitely noticed when something wasn't right and undertook rescue attempts. But sometimes even the best efforts aren't enough to save a company.

Particularly difficult for Alessa was balancing the admission of problems with the necessary external appearance toward investors. How openly can you seek help when you simultaneously need to appear stable and successful?

The liberation of filing for insolvency

Paradoxically, filing for insolvency can also be liberating. Finally, there's certainty about the situation, and you know what happens next. The uncertainty that often persists for months comes to an end.

After filing for insolvency, there are various possibilities for a company – insolvency doesn't always mean complete termination. There are paths for restructuring or takeover that can continue the company in a new form.

Outsourcing and freelancers as part of the strategy

Alessa's perspective on freelancers and outsourcing tasks is also interesting. This flexibility played an important role in dropp's journey and shows how modern startups can intelligently deploy their resources.

Lessons for other founders

For founders still searching for product-market fit, Alessa has valuable tips. The experience with dropp shows how important it is to recognize early whether the fundamental assumptions of the business model are correct.

In a theoretical new venture, she would – aside from operational aspects – make various strategic decisions differently. This reflection is typical of experienced founders: failure becomes a learning source for future projects.

Looking ahead

Despite dropp's difficult end, Alessa looks forward. She hasn't left the startup world – on the contrary, the experiences have strengthened her and opened new perspectives.

Her story shows: failure is not the end, but often the beginning of something new. The ability to learn from mistakes and keep going is one of the most important qualities of successful founders.

Conclusion

Alessa Vogler's open account of her experiences with dropp is valuable for the entire startup community. She shows that even seemingly successful companies can fail and that this is a normal part of entrepreneurship. What's important is learning from the experiences and not losing courage.