The Economist published a special on entrepreneurial failure:Business writers have always worshiped at the altar of success, which makes the latest management fashion all the more remarkable. The Harvard Business Review devoted its April issue to failure, featuring, among other contributors, A.G. Lafley, a successful ex-boss of Procter & Gamble, who proclaims that "we learn much more from failure than we do from success."
The cover of the current British edition of Wired magazine reads "Fail! Fast. Then succeed. What European business needs to learn from Silicon Valley." IDEO, a consultancy, has coined the slogan "Fail often in order to succeed sooner."
There are good reasons for the failure trend. Success and failure are not polar opposites: you often need to endure the second to enjoy the first. Failure can indeed be a better teacher than success. It can also be a sign of creativity.
