Melissa, you have every right to your opinion, and I apologize if this deviated from the painful and introspective journey you believed it was going to take.

What you do not have a right to do is judge these kids whom you know nothing about.

What if they were using these startups to support their college tuition?

What if these startups were supporting their families?

What if they were working on these startups since they were 10 years old, and it was all they knew?

Just because the article has a light-hearted approach does not mean these were not contemplative life choices that weighed as heavily on them as they do an older founder.

And the intention of this article was never to “sound awful” for these founders, but rather to relay to others that there is more after your first company. Leaving may be difficult, but reframing it as a learning experience makes it all the more worthwhile.