Gregory Shepard Featured at Bryant University: Why Failure Is Essential for Startup Success
At the 2025 Northeast Entrepreneurial Conference hosted by Bryant University, Startup Science founder and CEO Gregory Shepard delivered a keynote that reframed failure as an essential part of building successful startups.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure. It’s really another word for progress.”— Gregory Shepard
Read the full article here: For entrepreneurs, failure isn’t an option, it’s a necessity (Originally published April 18, 2025 by Bob Curley)
From Humble Beginnings to a $925M Exit
Greg’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary:
- Raised in the California mountains without electricity or running water
- Diagnosed with a learning disability and on the autism spectrum
- Failed at his first startup — but never quit
- Went on to found 12 companies and earn multiple academic accolades
- Sold his company Affiliate Attraction to eBay for $925 million
This keynote reminded attendees that grit, discipline, and long-term vision are often the true differentiators in the startup world.
Turning Failure Into a Framework: The Startup Lifecycle
In his keynote — and his book, The Startup Lifecycle — Greg outlines a research-backed model for startup success, built on five years of studying why founders fail.
Key concepts include:
- Start with the end in mind: Identify potential acquirers early
- Focus on valuation drivers: Know what creates real business value
- Align your team: Build around a clear vision and strong cultural fit
- Track the right metrics: Focus on leading indicators, not just financials
He compares the startup lifecycle to a GPS for founders, guiding them from idea to exit with structure and clarity.
Why This Message Resonates at Startup Science
At Startup Science, Greg’s philosophy is more than inspiration, it’s our operational DNA. The Startup Science platform was created to help founders:
- Understand the phases of startup growth
- Avoid predictable mistakes
- Build resilient, scalable businesses from day one
We believe startups should be treated like systems, not guessing games.
Never A Straight Line
Entrepreneurship is never a straight line. As Greg shared with the next generation of founders, failure is not the end , it’s the evidence that you’re evolving.
