Most founders dream of building the next Flappy Bird, but few think about what happens when success comes faster than expected.

Flappy Bird became one of the biggest mobile games in the world almost overnight. But instead of growing the business even more, creator Dong Nguyen removed the game while it was still making millions of dollars. The business wasn't failing. Instead, its success brought pressure that he didn't expect and may not have wanted.

Success can grow faster than people can handle. While rapid growth is often the goal, it also brings more pressure, responsibility, and attention. A small project can quickly become much bigger than a founder ever expected.

Flappy Bird is a good example of this. At its peak, the game was making an estimated $50,000 per day in ad revenue and became the #1 free app in over 100 countries. For most founders, this would be a dream. But Nguyen said many times that removing the game wasn't about the money. He believed the game had become too addictive and had grown beyond what he originally wanted. He said he created Flappy Bird to be a simple game people played for a few minutes, not something they spent hours on. As the game became more successful, it also became something he no longer wanted to manage.

This shows that success isn't just about reaching more people. It's also about being ready for everything that comes with growth. As a business grows, founders need to be prepared for the added pressure, attention, and responsibility that success brings.

People's reputation can matter more than revenue. Building a successful business isn't only about making as much money as possible. For many founders, staying true to their values is just as important.

Nguyen eventually had to make that choice. According to Temple University's retrospective, he also became uncomfortable with the worldwide attention, criticism from parents, and concerns that the game was hurting people's productivity. Instead of making even more money, Nguyen chose to protect his values and reputation, even if it meant walking away from one of the most profitable mobile games in the world.

This is a reminder that the strongest businesses aren't built on revenue alone. They're also built on staying true to your values. Even when success brings in a lot of money, it may not feel worth it if it comes at the cost of what you believe in.

Scarcity can make a product even more popular. When people think they might lose something, they often want it even more. The fear of missing out can increase demand almost overnight.

That's exactly what happened with Flappy Bird. After Nguyen announced he was removing the game, downloads quickly increased as people rushed to get it before it disappeared. Phones with Flappy Bird already installed were listed online for thousands of dollars, and the announcement created another wave of media coverage. The game's removal also inspired hundreds of copycat games, making Flappy Bird even more memorable after it was gone.

This reinforces the idea that scarcity can be one of the strongest drivers of demand. When people believe they have a limited time to get a product, they often act much faster than they otherwise would. For many businesses, creating urgency can be just as powerful as spending more on advertising.

Building success is hard. Managing it is harder.

Flappy Bird shows that creating something people love is only part of the challenge. As a business grows, it also brings more attention, pressure, criticism, and difficult decisions. Business owners should prepare not only for success, but also for everything that comes with it

Personally, I don't think Dong Nguyen made the wrong decision. Whether people agree with him or not, he stayed true to his values even though it meant giving up millions of dollars. That's a choice very few people would be willing to make.