You didn't describe failure, you described Regret. As a young entrepreneur trying to do the same thing you did in the past (establish a company that is strong, independent, has great values) I can see how "abandoning" those values feels like failure. But it really depends on your definition of success and also what you do after. An acquisition could provide someone with the financial freedom, knowledge, and business network to execute an idea with even greater ambitions, values and impact on the world. That's why I don't think it's always a failure. It's only a failure if it was the best thing you could ever do. But to me, the best entrepreneurs are incapable of thinking like that. You can always do better, be better, make something better.
