Originally Published March 3rd, 2019

“If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.” —Thomas J. Watson (IBM President)

Hey gang,

Failure is a bad thing right?

We all hide from failure. We cover up our past failures. We try desperately to avoid making new failures.

Especially failing publicly.

But is that the correct mode of being?

I think it depends.

Nowadays I’m looking at failure as a form of learning.

Failure can be used as a tool—a test.

If you have an idea for a product and it doesn’t work out, is that a failure?

Nope. You just learned.

Maybe your idea is a good one—you just implemented the wrong marketing strategy.

***more tests—more failure—more data

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” —Thomas Edison

I know I’ve said this before—it’s just a theme that I’ve been exploring for some time now.

If you want to succeed, double your rate of failure.

I’m failing all the time now & I’m proud of it.

I take tons of crappy photos!

The more crappy photos I take—the higher my chances of getting a decent one.

I have TONS of ideas for starting a business.

Eventually—one of the darts is going to stick.

Failing means I’m trying—I’m sticking my neck out into the world—I have skin in the game. 

Whether you’re an artist who’s submitting work, a creative with an idea, an entrepreneur testing out a business—failure is a good thing.

Don’t hide from it, don’t listen to the people around you who think you’re a loser, don’t be discouraged by failure!

Quote of the week:

“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of “crackpot” than the stigma of conformity.” —Thomas J. Watson

Fear conformity over looking like a crackpot! #newmantra

People who fail and keep trying are the doers—the winners.

Double Your Failure Rate

Embrace it.

Look for it. 

Learn from it.

-Tim