---
title: 'Swinging a big axe: Silicon Lumberjack looks to highlight failures and rot in the Silicon Forest startup scene'
date: '2011-06-09T16:04:56-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 248
char_count: 1458
tokens: 323
categories:
  - '#featured'
  - News
  - Oregon
  - Portland
  - Startups
tags:
  - failures
  - 'silicon forest'
  - 'silicon lumberjack'
  - Startup
---

# Swinging a big axe: Silicon Lumberjack looks to highlight failures and rot in the Silicon Forest startup scene

Someone way smarter than me once opined that those who don’t learn from history—or their failures—are doomed to repeat them. And equally smart people would say constant cheerleading has its place… but only if it’s balanced with equally compelling criticism.

A new blog hopes to do just that for the Portland startup scene. Meet [Silicon Lumberjack](http://siliconlumberjack.tumblr.com/ "Silicon Lumberjack").

> There’s a hole in the story of the Portland technology industry, and it looks like this: Silicon Florist covers the startup successes, The Oregonian (along with other papers) covers the big business deals, and no one talks about the small layoffs, the companies that are forever on the brink of bankruptcy, the people who are building fiefdoms instead of coalitions (to the detriment of the success of the industry as a whole), or anything else that’s making this a crappier place to start businesses or just work.

> If failure is a normal part of business, let’s talk about what happened, and do better next time. An industry where no one feels safe to talk about the details of what’s broken is not a great place to be.

Sounds like a great idea to me. I’ve already [subscribed on tumblr](http://siliconlumberjack.tumblr.com/ "Silicon Lumberjack"). And I’m already following @silumberjack on Twitter.

I suggest you do the same.