Because to the author, it is a success. They got to build, learn, taste progress, have fun, and then hand it off for some $$$ when their priorities shifted.

Does everything need to be measured in millions here?

Launching a real product, earning a single dollar in revenue from customers and selling a business for >0 are feats most entrepreneurs here are never going to be able to achieve. Just because it wasn't a billion dollar exit doesn't make it a failure.

>Be respectful. Anyone sharing work is making a contribution, however modest.

>Ask questions out of curiosity. Don't cross-examine.

>Instead of "you're doing it wrong", suggest alternatives. When someone is learning, help them learn more.

>When something isn't good, you needn't pretend that it is, but don't be gratuitously negative.

From the Show HN guidelines (yes this is not technically a Show HN but it serves the same purpose)

Maybe I need to explain what I said, I realize I came across a bit rude. I called it a failure because the emphasis in the article was completely on the sales/“exit” process and not on the product. I wouldn’t have called it a failure if the article was about how they built a cool product, how they marketed it and how much they learned while doing all that.

Because the term “exit” has a different meaning to those that haven’t actually run / managed a startup. Same reason you see kudos to startups for their exit or acquisition, when the reality is they were going under and or where an acquihire. Not that it’s bad, but it’s not the crazy exit they project it to be.

You are going to work on a thousand side projects looking for a business over the next 10 years. To sell one for anything is an achievement.

Because he got to learn and to experience something he wanted. Why not?

Being a tiny side project to scratch an itch he had, I wouldn't say it was a failure even at 5k.

To be sure, you're assuming Rastonbury is correct.