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What inspired us In the startup world, failure is often hidden, glossed over, or treated as something shameful. But we believe that failure is one of the most powerful sources of learning — especially when told honestly and in first person. 404 Ventures was born from that idea: a space to archive real startup failures, directly from the voices of their founders, so others can learn from their mistakes.

What we learned Design matters — especially when telling hard stories. We prioritized a clean, distraction-free reading experience. Supabase is incredibly powerful for fast prototyping, especially with real-time features and row-level security. Good UX isn't just about how it looks — it's how fast, clear, and intuitive it feels. Failure should not be hidden. It should be shared.

How we built it We designed and developed the entire platform from scratch during the Bolt.new hackathon: We started by collecting real failure stories and editing them into clean, honest narratives. We built the frontend using React and Tailwind, focusing on a smooth reading experience with skeleton loading, dark mode detection, and subtle animations. We used Supabase for auth, database, and admin functionality — including a hidden moderation mode via URL parameters. We deployed the site with Netlify and connected a custom domain.

Challenges we faced Implementing admin-only features with secure access and RLS policies on Supabase. Designing the site to feel emotionally respectful while still compelling and unique. Managing dark mode, animations, and layout consistency under tight time constraints. Avoiding clichés (like tombstones and failure tropes) to create a brand that feels serious but human.

Built With

• bolt.new
• netlify
• react
• supabase
• tailwind