Why We Built The Regret List

This is the complete, unfiltered story of why we built The Regret List, a public, searchable database of every accelerator, investor, and program we've ever applied to. It's a story about rejection, transparency, and building regardless of who believes in you today.

The Moment We Decided: Why Transparency Became Non-Negotiable

When we started Investler Solutions, we made a commitment that would define everything we do: radical transparency. Not the kind of transparency that's easy or comfortable. The kind that makes you uncomfortable. The kind that most companies would never consider.

The Regret List wasn't born from bitterness or a desire to shame anyone. It was born from a simple realization: every founder faces rejection, but almost no one talks about it publicly.

We decided to be different.

The Genesis: What Led Us Here

Before The Regret List existed, we were like every other startup. We applied to accelerators. We pitched investors. We got rejected. A lot. And like every other startup, we kept it quiet. We hid our failures. We only shared our wins.

But here's the thing: hiding failures doesn't make them go away. It just makes you feel alone.

I remember sitting in my office after our 50th rejection, thinking: "Why are we hiding this? Why are we pretending like rejection is something to be ashamed of?"

That's when it hit me: rejection isn't failure. Failure is giving up. And we're not giving up.

The Decision: Why We Made It Public

The decision to build The Regret List wasn't made lightly. We knew it would be controversial. We knew some people would think we're bitter. We knew some investors might not want to work with a company that's this transparent.

But we also knew something else: transparency is our competitive advantage.

Here's why:

1. It Builds Trust

When you're honest about your struggles, people trust you more. Not less. More.

Think about it: when a company only shares their wins, you know they're hiding something. When a company shares their rejections, their failures, their struggles, you know they're being real.

We've had investors reach out specifically because of The Regret List. They say things like: "I've never seen a company this transparent. That's the kind of company I want to invest in."

2. It Helps Other Founders

Every founder faces rejection. Every single one. But most founders think they're alone. They think rejection means they're doing something wrong.

The Regret List shows them they're not alone. It shows them that rejection is part of the journey. It shows them that even companies with 100+ agents get rejected.

If The Regret List helps one founder keep going when they want to quit, it's worth it.

3. It Keeps Us Accountable

Public transparency means we can't hide from our mistakes. We can't pretend we're further along than we are. We can't fake it.

Every rejection is public. Every application is documented. Every "no" is recorded.

This keeps us honest. It keeps us focused. It keeps us building.

4. It's Our Competitive Advantage

Most companies hide their failures. Most companies pretend like everything is perfect. Most companies only share their wins.

We're different. We're proud of our failures. We're proud of our rejections. We're proud of the fact that we keep going despite them.

The companies that said no will regret it. The ones that said yes will be rewarded.

The Numbers: What The Regret List Actually Shows

As of today, The Regret List contains:

Dozens of accelerator applications - Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Startups, and more
Hundreds of investor applications - Angels, VCs, strategic investors
Multiple applications to the same programs - Because persistence matters
Every rejection documented - Who said no, when, and how many times

But here's what The Regret List doesn't show:

The companies that said yes - Because we haven't raised capital yet
The conversations that led nowhere - Because not every conversation deserves documentation
The opportunities we turned down - Because sometimes "no" goes both ways

The Regret List is honest, but it's not bitter. It's transparent, but it's not vindictive.

The Reactions: What People Actually Say

When we launched The Regret List, we didn't know what to expect. Would people think we're bitter? Would investors avoid us? Would founders find it helpful?

Here's what actually happened:

From Founders:

"Thank you for being this transparent. It makes me feel less alone."
"I've been rejected by half these places too. It's nice to know I'm not the only one."
"This is the most honest thing I've seen from a startup. Ever."

From Investors:

"I respect the transparency. Most companies hide their failures."
"This shows confidence. You're not afraid of rejection."
"The fact that you're still building after all these rejections shows resilience."

From Accelerators:

Some reached out to clarify their process
Some appreciated the transparency
Some... well, some probably weren't thrilled

But here's the thing: we're not doing this for them. We're doing this for us. And for founders like us.

The Philosophy: Why Transparency Matters More Than You Think

The Regret List isn't just a list of rejections. It's a philosophy. It's a commitment to radical transparency in everything we do.

Here's our philosophy:

Every rejection is data - Not failure. Data. What can we learn? What can we improve? What does this tell us?
Every "no" is motivation - The best revenge is massive success. Every rejection makes us want to succeed more.
Transparency builds trust - When you're honest about your struggles, people trust you more. Not less.
We're building regardless - We don't need permission. We don't need approval. We're building regardless of who believes in us today.

The Impact: What The Regret List Has Done For Us

Since launching The Regret List, we've seen:

Increased investor interest - Investors respect transparency
More founder connections - Founders reach out because they relate to our journey
Better conversations - When investors know we're transparent, conversations are more honest
Stronger team - Our team knows we're not hiding anything

But more importantly, we've seen:

Personal growth - Being transparent forces you to confront your failures
Mental clarity - You can't hide from rejection when it's public
Unwavering commitment - When rejection is public, giving up isn't an option

The Future: What's Next For The Regret List

The Regret List isn't finished. It's a living document. Every new application gets added. Every new rejection gets documented.

Here's what's coming:

More applications (we're not giving up)
More rejections (we're not afraid)
More transparency (we're just getting started)

And eventually, when we do raise capital, The Regret List will show the full journey. From rejection to acceptance. From "no" to "yes."

The Lesson: What We Want You To Know

If you're a founder reading this, here's what we want you to know:

Rejection isn't failure. Failure is giving up.

Every founder faces rejection. Every company gets told "no" more times than they get told "yes." You're not alone. You're not doing something wrong. You're just building.

If you're an investor reading this, here's what we want you to know:

Transparency matters. When founders are honest about their struggles, it shows confidence. It shows resilience. It shows they're building something real.

If you're an accelerator reading this, here's what we want you to know:

We're not bitter. We're not trying to shame anyone. We're just being transparent about the journey. And we'll keep applying. Because persistence matters.

The Commitment: Why We'll Never Stop

The Regret List isn't going away. We're committed to radical transparency. We're committed to sharing our journey, the good, the bad, and the rejected.

Here's our commitment:

We'll document every application
We'll share every rejection
We'll be honest about our journey
We'll keep building regardless

Because here's the thing: we're not building for the companies that said no. We're building for the ones that will say yes. And for ourselves.

The Bottom Line: Why This Matters

The Regret List isn't about rejection. It's about transparency. It's about honesty. It's about building regardless of who believes in you today.

Every rejection is data. Every "no" is motivation. The companies that said no will regret it. The ones that said yes will be rewarded.

We're building regardless. And we're doing it transparently.

That's why we built The Regret List.