The Email Startup Graveyard: Why 80%+ Fail

This article dissects the high failure rate of email startups, attributing it to a fundamental misunderstanding of email infrastructure. Most don't build from scratch, instead layering UIs on top of existing solutions like Amazon SES. This leads to technical debt, performance issues (especially with Electron-based apps), and ultimately, failure. Successful companies like Xobni thrived by enhancing existing workflows, not replacing them. The article argues that future success lies in building robust email infrastructure and developer tools, not reinventing the email client.