"Failing Fast"

September 2023

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the term “Failing fast.” The root of the expression comes from agile and lean startup methodologies and references a strategy of quickly identifying and addressing failures or problems in a project or business process.

The basic idea is to create an environment where failure is not only accepted but encouraged, with the understanding that failures provide valuable lessons and can ultimately lead to better outcomes.

At first, this idea really annoyed me. I thought it was about normalizing failure. And I really like to win, and I really hate to lose. But as I spent time thinking about it and got knocked around a few times by decisions I made or detours I have taken, I realized that getting things wrong while you learn isn’t really a failure. 

I now use this method to make me comfortable with taking risks while knowing that I have a process to help me turn things around to a successful outcome.

1.      Identify the problem or issue as quickly as it arises. Timely intervention minimizes the potential negative impact.

2.      Failures are valuable learning opportunities. Acknowledging them and analyzing them allows insight into what went wrong, why it happened, and how to avoid similar situations in the future.

3.      Address problems early. This is much less costly from a time and resource standpoint than if you procrastinate and deal with them later.

4.      Make small incremental changes and test them out quickly, allowing for continuous improvement or wins.

5.      Seek out and address potential failures and reduce the overall risk.

6.      Removing the fear of failure fosters innovation and creativity because it takes away the idea that your courage is a failure. It’s easier to try new things and take calculated risks when you know that whatever happens, learning is part of the process.

7.      Focus resources on what works and modify what doesn’t. This helps you allocate your time and energy toward what works for you and what drives success.

8.      Adapt quickly to changing circumstances. You decided or took an action based on one set of variables. If the environment changes and the variables change, it’s okay to quickly adapt and change to the new set of circumstances.

I am not encouraging you to make deliberate mistakes or be reckless. I'm saying that you can try new things and embark on new adventures with the knowledge that you have systems, processes, and a mindset that allows you to identify issues and adapt swiftly when they occur. The goal is to improve decision-making and increase the chance of success by learning from failures along the way.