I think it means, that people with a failed start-up in their backgrounds are more experienced. And they can foresee hardships and pitfalls, moreover they can know ways for solving such problems.

Thanks for all the answerings!=)

A pitfall is a trap that you leave for people to fall into, a person who has failed is someone who fell into the trap, so they know to avoid it, but a person who never failed, won't know the trap is there, so they will fall in. "Does it mean that only success can help them forget the failure?" No it doesn't, it only means that people who have made mistakes won't make them a second time. Here's an example, I want to go for a walk with someone, and I pick the person who has fallen and got back up, I don't pick the person who never fell, because they don't know how to get back up.

I agree with Helen, it means exactly as she said. People often learn from their own, or others experience, if they have been involved in difficult circumstances or failing companies.

I don't think so.Why does start-up companies like to hire people with a failed start-up in their backgrounds?　Because these firms known that when the company began operations, there will be a number of risks, it is easy to setbacks.So company need the staff have experience of failure. this sentence mean is staff only obtain success to prove they are not losers.