Can't make it work? That means you're doing everything right

Philipp Shay
3 replies
Well-known American business angel and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis tweeted yesterday: "Most of my ventures used to fail completely, but every fourth one took off... which means I wasn't taking enough risks." For some reason many founders fear failures, but no one approaches it from a mathematical perspective. The more startups you attempt - the greater probability of creating something great you have. How many times have you experienced failure?

Replies

James McElroy
Definitely had a bunch of previous failures. Learned a ton from each failure
Shajedul Karim
hey there, you're on to something. failure isn't just a rite of passage, it's data. jason's math isn't wrong. more tries, better odds. but, let's level up that equation. each failure? it's not just a -1. it's a +1 to your experience. risk and failure? they're not synonyms. they're coordinates on your entrepreneurial map. count failures, sure. but also weigh them. each one has a unique lesson density. don't just aim for a batting average. consider slugging percentage. go for meaningful hits. it's not just the quantity of startups. it's the quality of lessons pulled from each. so, you asked about my failures? i don't have a number. i have a library. it's not just about playing the odds. it's about improving the player. fail fast, learn faster. that's the game. what's in your library?
Piotr Obidowski
3 or 4 times now. But most of them I think was due to inexperience, lack of internal motivation or not fight enough.