The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

July 7Relative Failure

But it is better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation. He who has never failed somewhere, that person cannot be great. Failure is the true test of greatness. And if it be said, that continual success is a proof that a person wisely knows their powers,—it is only to be added, that, in that case, they know them to be small.

Herman Melville—Hawthorne and His Mosses (1850)

The story goes that Sir James Dyson, of Dyson Vacuum fame, attempted 5,126 bagless vacuum prototypes that failed first. (A little more original than the overused Thomas Edison 10,000 failures example, right?)

That example sounds absurd, as does the current narrative espoused by some in entrepreneurial circles that praise failure as a badge of honor. There are even those who suggest you must fail in order to succeed.

That's a bit like suggesting you must go to the hospital in order to be sick.

What few seem to want to address—perhaps because it's kind of boring—are the endless stories of entrepreneurs who succeeded on their own terms in spite of no hard luck story.

The only real way to fail is hold back, not start, not bring your passion, not learn from what the universe tells you day to day.

You may experience failure at some point, but you don't have to go looking for it in order to find your greatness.

Challenge Question

1. What did you learn about yourself the last time you failed at something?