Question
My "pay the bills" job is a Financial Analyst, but my passion for the past 5+ years has been my startup.
I've learned so many different skills running my own business from project management, SEO, sales, advertising, growth strategies, programming, localization, etc. but if my startup fails would companies hire / be interested in me for the knowledge I've acquired?
I feel I am very knowledgeable in all different aspects of online startups, and can be very helpful to other companies; however, I also get the feeling that businesses would see my failure in my startup as a flaw.
Answer
I've seen varying opinions on this. My take is that as long as the startup experience compliments your skill set it makes sense for you to tie that into a job hunt. Being a Founder/CEO of a startup alone doesn't buy you much, but being able to show successful business development, creating marketing initiatives, overseeing product development, project management and more will be beneficial. You'll have to tailor it toward the job you want. Overall, my entrepreneurial experience has opened more doors than it closed. I'd imagine you'll have a similar experience.
Feel free to reach out with any questions.
