Navigating Startup Culture: The Case Against Embracing Failure
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Chapter 1: Rethinking Failure in Startups
If I could share one crucial piece of advice for both novice and experienced startup founders, it would be: "Avoid failure until it becomes absolutely unavoidable."
One aspect of startup culture I find particularly frustrating is its dependence on empty slogans and motivational phrases, much like how large corporations lean on vague mission statements. These phrases should carry significance, yet they often don't, as they are typically uttered without much thought.
As a result, many founders are led to believe that failing is a necessary step toward success. They are encouraged to embrace failure, often told to "fail early and often" and reassured that setbacks are simply part of the journey. To those who dispense such advice, I often pose the question: "Have you ever truly experienced a disastrous business failure?"
More often than not, their answer is a resounding no.
How Celebrities Achieve Success
Recently, I attended a celebrity convention with my children, who were thrilled to meet their favorite YouTube and anime figures, as well as some notable movie and television stars. This year, I even managed to have a brief yet memorable conversation with Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall.
Unfortunately, this year's event coincided with a low point in the writer's and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which meant that celebrities were restricted in what they could say about their careers. This led to a rather awkward verbal dance as they navigated questions without actually addressing their current projects.
Yet, amidst this unusual atmosphere, I noticed a recurring theme during the Q&A sessions: someone would invariably ask, "How did you achieve success?"
The answer was consistently straightforward: "I simply wasn't good at anything else, so I had no choice but to succeed."
This sentiment resonates with many, including actors, musicians, athletes, and entrepreneurs. However, this perspective on failure isn't the takeaway I want you to have; rather, I want to emphasize the concept of controlled failure.
Controlled Failure vs. Random Attempts
The notion of controlled failure only dawned on me when I decided to start intentionally losing at poker.
Like many, I possess certain physical and mental attributes that make me immediately proficient at specific activities, which vary for everyone based on their unique characteristics. This can easily become a trap. For instance, my first experience with a golf club yielded an impressive straight 250-yard drive, and my initial poker game resulted in a significant win.
However, my winning streak eventually ended. The early losses were just minor setbacks—a stray golf shot or an embarrassing loss at a poker table. But as my losses accumulated, they intensified: golf drives that barely made it past 10 yards, and poker hands where I confidently went all in, only to face disappointing outcomes.
In reality, I wasn't experiencing "bad beats"; I was simply unprepared. I was already confident and passionate about my pursuits, which led me to act impulsively—making changes that often resulted in new, frustrating failures.
To address this, I began learning the fundamentals and participating in low-stakes poker games. I intentionally started losing; this is what I refer to as controlled failure. While it's relatively easy to practice in a casual setting, it's considerably more challenging and costly in the business world. However, it's far more strategic than random attempts.
Recognizing Failure as a Possibility
Convincing yourself that failure is not an option does not prevent it from happening, as evidenced by countless actors, musicians, athletes, and entrepreneurs who faced setbacks despite their best intentions.
If you possess the skills to launch and manage a business, you have the necessary tools to adapt if things go awry. Therefore, embrace the possibility of failure and learn to prepare for it.
All the training and practice in the world won't guarantee that you will excel in your endeavors. If you enter the business arena believing you're already "good" at something, you risk setting yourself up for a downfall. Often, this downfall is not triggered by a single catastrophic event but rather by a combination of smaller factors—both internal and external.
Don't allow a series of unfortunate events to catch you off guard, forcing you to adapt your strategy on the fly. Instead, proactively plan for controlled failure, practice it, and learn how to recover from it.
This article originally appeared in Inc. Magazine behind a paywall, where I write a column on startup advice and culture. For free access to all my public writings, sign up for my email list at joeprocopio.com.
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The first video, "I WAS WRONG - The top reason why startups fail," explores common pitfalls that new business ventures encounter and how to avoid them.
The second video, "Why Startups Fail: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid," outlines the major errors that entrepreneurs make and offers strategies to steer clear of them.