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Ugly Talk Brings Founder Setbacks Into a New York Discussion
A missed hire or a failed product bet leaves a founder with decisions that a polished company story rarely explains. Ugly Talk is bringing those decisions into a November 2 conversation for early-stage tech founders and operators.
UGLY TALK: FAILURE IS KEY TO SUCCESS is scheduled for November 2, 2026, from 6:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST (America/New_York), Location shared with confirmed guests, New York, NY, US. The organizer withholds the exact street address until the guest-confirmation process. Registration requires organizer approval. Confirm admission before making plans.
The announced program
Hungryroot founder and CEO Ben McKean gives the keynote. The announced panel includes Stephen McKinney of Bizbe, Dmitry Koltunov of Arbor and Gwendolyn von Rahn of Sweetling Health, with Victoria Yampolsky of The Startup Station moderating. The program combines the keynote, panel, audience questions and a closing mixer.
A question to bring
The useful preparation is a specific setback and the choice it forced: whether to change the product, replace a process, preserve cash or seek help. The event is intended to let founders compare how they made those choices. Admission requires organizer approval and a confirmation before arrival.
See the official event page for the latest program, registration and access details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a founder bring to the failure discussion?
The useful preparation is a specific setback and the choice it forced: whether to change the product, replace a process, preserve cash or seek help. The event is intended to let founders compare how they made those choices. Admission requires organizer approval and a confirmation before arrival.
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