No doubt there are some differences with the US here; the start-up career path perhaps isn't necessarily so widely known about and recognised outside the tech community, nor is it quite as breathlessly cheerled as in the bay area.

But still, this isn't really the UK (or at least the London tech scene) which I know. A failed tech startup is very different to personal bankruptcy or some shady business operating on the edges of the law. And I think a lot of the tech sector here see it as a positive thing if you've learnt from it.