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These numbers are meaningless. These aren't startup failure rates, but failure rates for all small businesses-- i.e. shoe stores, restaurants, etc.

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Also, plenty of startups die before ever incorporating. For example, some hackers crank out a prototype, never get traction, then bail - all without any paper trail.

There needs to be some line drawn to what is considered a startup. Incorporating is one of the bare minimums. Before that, it's called a startup idea.

Really? I thought it pointed out the survival rates for businesses started in 1992, no?

And while the sample set probably includes very few (if any) software-based tech companies, I think there are more similarities than differences between the struggles encountered by two kids starting a tech company and two kids opening up a skateboard shop - bad hires, cash flow problems, finding customers, etc.

What am I not seeing?

I think the difference is that it costs less to start tech company, at least in terms of physical goods. Little to no distribution cost, no need for physical space to store the goods, etc.

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