Download - Michael Wolfe - failcon
“QUITTING, SUCKING, andfailing
your way to a better life”Michael Wolfewww.michaelrwolfe.com@michaelrwolfe
FIRST, ABOUT ME I am a QUITTER I sometimes SUCK I often FAIL
1. MY JOURNEY
2. WHY IS FAILURE SO HARD
TO ACCEPT?
3. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
4. WHAT CAN YOU DO?
MY JOURNEY
AVOIDfailure
ACCEPTfailure
EMBRACE
My Career Four startups and a few bigcompanies Several roles (CEO,Engineering, Product) Advising and mentoring Full of quit, suck and fail
QUITTING I quit several good jobs Several businesses pivoted I shut one company down
SUCKING I was a mediocre student My teams and I always in overour heads Lack of resources
FAILING They all had a highprobability of failure One did fail Several failed products
RESULT One IPO, two acquisitions Very rapid learning Great times, amazing teams Maintained family life, sports,travel, sabbaticals
Why is quitting, sucking, andfailing so hard?
OUR MENTAL MODEL of theworld
KNOWN PROBLEMS DEFINED CRITERIA CLEAR AUTHORITY
CHILDHOOD
KNOWN PROBLEMSBe good, sit up straight, do yourchores DEFINED CRITERIAPraise, rewards CLEAR AUTHORITYParents
SCHOOL
KNOWN PROBLEMSMath, reading, writing, language DEFINED CRITERIARight and wrong answers ,grades CLEAR AUTHORITYTeachers
WORK
KNOWN PROBLEMSWell-understood customers,products, processes DEFINED CRITERIADeadlines, quotas CLEAR AUTHORITYBosses
SOMETIMES THIS is the rightmodel
I don’t want these folks toQUIT, SUCK, and FAIL
BUT IT DOES NOT WORK FORINNOVATION
Customer, product, market are unknown
Solutions are found through trial and error
Companies are understaffed, unfunded, full ofinexperienced folks
Most of them fail, but winners are huge
Let’s test IT
Quit school, quit jobs Poor management skills atfirst Many failed projects Near-death experiences
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
GO to failcon
Done! √
PLEASE JUST STOP THIS
“That seems likesuch a time waster”
“That will neverwork”
“No company willtrust that”
“That team has noexperience”
Being wrong will destroy your business and career
“LIVE in the future”Ubiquitous mobile devices
Cheap tabletsRobotics and 3D printing
Fracking and cheap energyDecline of retail
Online universitiesRemote labor pools
Self driving cars
These things are happening whether you like it ornow – what are you doing about it?
EMBRACE YOUTHIf you are young, jump in – don’t wait
Give young people real authority and power
No “paying your dues”
FIND a way to quit, suck, and failTry something hard, risky, and scary Encourage others who do the same Seek “career security” not “job security”
QueSTIONS?
Michael Wolfewww.michaelrwolfe.com@michaelrwolfe