The culturally risk-averse Finns have an extremely low rate of new business formation due to a fear of failure. Their solution? On October 13th the Finns celebrated National Failure Day:
On Thursday, October 13th, every major university city had their own events bringing entrepreneurs and pop icons telling about their failures. “We are actually amazed how the Finns have really taken the day by heart. We have heard about people organising conferences, round tables and events at large companies, all of which discussing the topic of failure. This really makes us as organizers smile,” says Petri Vilen.
The National Failure Day campaign got a lot of attention in the Finnish mainstream media and all of the largest web, TV, radio and print media gave it coverage. The videos of the supporters can be found on the campaign site.
I’m reminded of Winston Churchill’s wisecrack: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Rovio, a Finnish company, was on the verge of bankruptcy after producing one unsuccessful game after another. Then they produced the phenomenally successful smartphone game Angy Birds, and the rest is bombing evil green pigs.
“The most important thing is to keep trying. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes don’t. Our basic attitude at Rovio is that we’re good in learning,” says [Rovio’s] Peter Vesterbacka in the video at the campaign site.
I love me some Angry Birds.
Also, persistence reminds me of the Movie “Rudy.”
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.â€
Reminds me of Tim Geithner. Oh wait, that’s probably not what anyone means….
I think that Sec. Geithner is proof positive that the Peter Principle is wayyy too optimistic. People rise past their levels of incompetence all of the time.
“People rise past their levels of incompetence all of the time.”
Heh. Barack Obama.
Or George W. Bush. Or John McCain, or John Kerry, or Al Gore, etc.