Founder guide
How to write a startup post-mortem (with a free template)
A startup post-mortem is the honest account of what you built, what happened, and why it ended. Done well, it does three things: it helps you learn, it helps other founders, and it makes your dead product genuinely sellable.
Here's how to write one that's worth reading — and a template you can copy.
What a good post-mortem includes
- The one-line summary — what it did and who it was for.
- The timeline — when you started, what you tried, when it stalled.
- The numbers — users, traffic, revenue, honestly stated.
- The cause of death — the real reason, not the flattering one.
- The lessons — what you'd tell the next founder attempting this.
Be honest, but not reckless
Honesty is what makes a post-mortem credible and valuable. Name the real reason it failed — 'no market need', 'ran out of cash', 'wrong team', 'bad timing'. But you don't have to leak private user data or trash former teammates. Honest and professional is the bar.
Why it's worth money
Buyers pay more for a listing with a clear post-mortem than one without, because it tells them exactly what they're inheriting and what to avoid. The post-mortem is often the single most valuable part of a dead startup — it's the compressed lessons of everything you spent to learn.
A copy-paste template
Name & tagline. What it was (2–3 sentences). Timeline (start → key moments → end). Metrics (users, traffic, MRR). Cause of death (the honest one). What worked. What didn't. Lessons for the next founder. What's included if sold (code, domain, users, accounts).
On Saasgrave, the listing form walks you through exactly these fields — so writing your post-mortem and publishing it are the same three-minute step.
Turn your post-mortem into a listing.
Saasgrave's listing form is a post-mortem template. Publish yours free in about 3 minutes.
Frequently asked
What should a startup post-mortem include?+
A one-line summary, a timeline, honest metrics, the real cause of death, what worked and what didn't, and clear lessons for the next founder.
Does a post-mortem make my startup easier to sell?+
Yes. A clear, honest post-mortem is often the most valuable part of a dead startup — it tells buyers exactly what they're inheriting and raises trust, which raises offers.
Where can I publish my startup post-mortem?+
You can publish it free on Saasgrave, whose listing form is structured as a post-mortem. Keep it as a public record or open the startup for sale.