We haven’t failed, but successfully shown it doesn’t work

http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2011/06/10/we-havent-failed-but-successfully-shown-it-doesnt-work/?awesm=tnw.to_192fc&utm_content=spreadus_master&utm_medium=tnw.to-other&utm_source=direct-tnw.to

by wspruijt • 15 years ago

17 17 15 years ago

thenextweb.com

wccrawford• 15 years ago

This whole 'we didn't fail' thing is just feel-good nonsense.

While they did indeed 'show that it doesn't work', they failed to create a company, and they failed to produce money for their investors. Those investors aren't saying 'Well, that was money well spent.' They are saying 'That was a failure.'

The fact that they are willing to invest again is a tribute to the company's handling of the situation and apparently technical know-how, not a sign that the investors are happy with the outcome.

BorisBomega2• 15 years ago

As mentioned in the post "Of course we would have preferred it if the solution would have been perfect, but at least we had the chance to give it a try"...

petervandijck3• 15 years ago

And how is that not failing?

roel_v• 15 years ago

It's true, but feel-good nonsense is sometimes a tool to get up and try again. It's hacking your own motivation, to use a popular (or maybe by now 'cliche') analogy.

I'm not usually a fan of 'self-help speak', but since I had some good experiences where it helped me, I'm not as negative as I once was.

pflats• 15 years ago

I agree with most of what you say, but (probably because I come from academic research) disagree with the spirit. This sounds a lot to me like a grant propsal:

   Team: "Hey, we think <Algorithm X> is an untested and potentionally hugely powerful way to filter spam.
         Our test script did awesome. We want to bring it to scale and make a product out of it."

   Investors: "Hey, that sounds like a good idea."

   <Months Later>

   Team: "Nope, <Algorithm X> is a dead-end. Here's the remainder of your seed money."

If they failed, then company failed before anyone ever invented in them. They failed when they decided to even try the idea out in the first place. The investors failed by backing a technology that wasn't going to work.

The product was a failure, but the team and business weren't necessarily failures. I can defintely see why a company would want to re-up. Both sides would have obviously preferred bringing cash in hand over fist, but I'd say that this outcome is far more positive than having a product that works and a business that fails.

peteretep• 15 years ago

I feel like the message here isn't so much a failure to accept failure, but more of an early, total acceptance that they were failing and allowing that insight to stop them wasting more money, rather than holding on for dear life...

bad_user• 15 years ago

The investors got more than 50% of their investment back; this doesn't happen very often with failures.

    They are saying 'That was a failure.'

But there are lots of failures of lots of startups and as an investor you're betting on a few winnings among lots of loses. Investors may actually be happy with this outcome simply because it could have been a lot worse.

petervandijck3• 15 years ago

"Investors may actually be happy with this outcome simply because it could have been a lot worse."

-> kill me right now.

They failed. Come on.

Hisoka• 15 years ago

But focusing on the negative really isn't constructive and will only lead to bitterness. Looking on the positive side helps you get back up and try again.

bennoleslie• 15 years ago

The way in which the failed product was handled is impressive, but I'm left wondering if there are any more details on the approach that failed?

Sharing why a given approach doesn't work could save others with the same technical idea from wasting time and money trying to turn the same idea into a product.

fmavituna• 15 years ago

Sorry, but you've failed and it's much more productive to accept that.

Wilya• 15 years ago

I find it a little bit strange that they didn't realize their solution didn't work before lauching and getting funding.

A business idea, or a consumer product can fail or succeed depending on many parameters. But a spam filter is a technical part. There are metrics that can clearly tell you whether it works or not.

grannyg00se• 15 years ago

Failure with some positive spin is still failure. The word failure shouldn't be something to hide from. Embrace the fact that you tried and failed in a not so horrible way. It's still failure. And failure can be good.

bproper• 15 years ago

This post is a fail

We haven’t failed, but successfully shown it doesn’t work

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