If retrospect exists to inform future decisions: getting to the GP's point in his business is a useful success signal.
Whatever it is that you're tracking seems less useful toward any question that isn't "am I rich from this right now?". The answer to which is "no". As-in "no shit". It's not useful.
In that case, that goes back to my argument that he is a “failure” based on his own metrics of his personal success criteria. He failed at his goal of being a successful startup founder.
sports analogy time! people like sports because sports defines rules, bounds and how to determine a fair outcome with a winner. These are all limitations that are not at all clear in real life. Some people say "money is the measure of success in the games of business" and that supports the scarface point of view. Others point to the "journey" and talk about life occurring at the same time, factoring in family and personal emotions. Both are useful, neither are completely true.
