Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win

by Ryan Babineaux, John Krumboltz

"Bold, bossy and bracing, Fail Fast, Fail Often is like a 200-page shot of B12, meant to energize the listless job seeker."
—New York Times

What if your biggest mistake is that you never make mistakes?

Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz, psychologists, career counselors, and creators of the popular Stanford University course “Fail Fast, Fail Often,” have come to a compelling conclusion: happy and successful people tend to spend less time planning and more time acting. They get out into the world, try new things, and make mistakes, and in doing so, they benefit from unexpected experiences and opportunities.

Drawing on the authors’ research in human development and innovation, Fail Fast, Fail Often shows readers how to allow their enthusiasm to guide them, to act boldly, and to leverage their strengths—even if they are terrified of failure.
 

Genres: Business, Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Psychology, Audiobook, Leadership

208 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2013

Reviews

[Dialekti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't trying to sell you a life changing secret or any other mystical success recipe: it's practical, to the point and concise. I really liked it and I really feel like it could help most people.

It gives concrete suggestions, coupled with facts and reputable research results and that's the way I like my self-help books.

[Maria Peteva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, if you have read a lot of psychology books, skip this one. I was wondering today what set me off about this book and it is that it is written not by ONE but by TWO people and nothing inside this book told me "I have been through this shit, let me show you how its done."

Also the book is not about failing at all, its a catchy title. The book is about how to start making ideas happen and its always about some programmer, or entrepreneur, or rich person (I mean all these people paid for work advice//guidance from the authors) who stumbled upon a solution to their depressed lives, which kind of makes me sad. So its not about testing and making ideas happen, or even brainstorming but how to get out of your lives misery.

Not worth the read.

[Yasmeen · Rating 1 out of 5]

اللي وقع ف ايدي تقريبًا ملخص وملهوش اي لازمة وممكن يطلع الكتاب نفسه أصلاً بس برضو ملهوش أي لازمة
سلام

[Maitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of self-help books but this book is amazing!!!

I will summarize the main ideas, so I could refer back to my review if I wanted to remind my self to fail fast 🤣

1. Just do it, don't wait utill you are ready or you will waste the opportunity.
2. Do what you enjoy the most, not what gets you financial benefits.
3. progress triggers satisfaction, regardless how small. Make your tasks smaller so you could see the progress! (Try to work for 30 mins uninterrupted)
4.Don't be afraid of failure and don't spend much time planning. Just do it! If you failed...so what?? Also, don't make excuses!! You can do it!!
5.children try new things because they are curious and wanna learn, but as they grow older they say "what will I get from this? How will it benefit me?" Not everything should be beneficial, just do it for fun!!
6.Career tests and figuring out our career paths at a young age is just nonsense. Not everyone finds their passion at a young age, or decide what they wanna do for the rest of their lives, which is totally fine!!
Our interests change all the time. So don't worry about anyone who tells you otherwise.
7." "go see for yourself" should be the first words out of the mouth of every career counselor. There is no way to know how you'll feel about a given career until you experience what it's like firsthand. It doesn't matter how much you read, research or ask people questions, because those are other people's opinions, not yours."
Love this quote 👍🏽💕

8. Hesitating and delaying decisions until you figure things out might not be useful at all. Overthinking or "over-planning" will only drain our energy and we will end up giving up even before starting. Just take the first step and see for yourself!!!
You can and you will. Don't underestimate your abilities and skills.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-Fiction>Self Help
I read this expecting it to be more psychology or pop-psych than self-help. There were actual studies referenced, but really it's mostly a bunch of anecdotal stories with an overarching moral that the authors (counselors from what I recall) spell out for the readers. This is fine; just not what I was after. The themes of advice: do a lot of stuff you like, make mistakes to grow, don't over-plan just 'do,' and don't let your biological need to run from the tiger to override your desire to learn a new instrument or write a book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When other people pick out a book for me, I usually HATE the book with a passion. You see, I am too choosy about the books I read for my own good.

My mom, in all her motherly fretting, got me this book on a whim. She even APOLOGIZED, saying "The title makes it sound like I think less of you. I DON'T. You're struggling, though. So give this book a chance."

As you already figured out, I did give this book a chance.

BAM!

Instead of endlessly ruminating and deliberating (I'm an overthinker), I shot into action. HECK, I'M EVEN WRITING A REVIEW OF THIS BOOK ON GOODREADS. I've never written a review before here or anywhere else online!!!

This book doesn't sound officious, doesn't dwell on a topic for too long, doesn't pad with fluff, doesn't make me want to chuck it at a wall like some self-help books do.

So what does the book DO?

IT MAKES YOU STOP OVERTHINKING. Take it from me. I am a pro at twisting threads of thoughts into a gnarly web that stops me from doing pretty much ANYTHING.

And this book gives you a KICK IN THE BUTT. The nice thing is it doesn't hurt as much as someone actually kicking you! And you don't feel ashamed like you do when someone tells you off!

So here's another gentle kick in the butt to YOU. If you're reading this review, you probably need to go ahead and decide on a book to read. OK. I'M KICKING YOU IN THE BUTT NOW. If I did this review, you can decide now if you want this book or some other good-for-you book. NOW GO PICK OUT YOUR BOOK AND READ IT.

[Jazzmin Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The intro was motivating. However, the rest of the book had nothing to do with failing. For example, there is advice to try something new and then a story about a guy who tried a pottery class in high school and that led him into success for the rest of his career. So he tried something new once when he was a kid, and after that he didn't try new things and he never failed.

[Omar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. It's a lot of information I've neard in other places, but still good for a reminder and motivation. Could be worth reading/listening to again.🤏

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a perfectionist planner I know I need to “just do it” sometimes. And that was the main point of advice in this book. Just jump in. See what happens. If you screw up you can tweak and try again. There wasn’t any earth shattering, novel advice but I liked the stories they told and the matter of fact way the advice was given. Check it out if you need a kick in the pants to get over procrastination or analysis paralysis.

[Adriza · Rating 5 out of 5]

For overthinkers and overanalysers

[Эрдэнэбат Оюунболд · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so practical, i would recommend my daughters read this book.

[Mikasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Failure is an art that could be managed .

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I gave this book a two-star rating, it really should be more like a 2.5. It is not a bad book and I would not discourage someone from reading it. The authors make some good points and it fits in well with the self-help/improve yourself/motivational genre.
My issue with this book is that it could have been a lot shorter. The whole book could have been summed up in about ten pages. I listened to this book in my car and every time my wife joined me she kept asking why I was listening to the same part of the book again. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. One drive we went on was about an hour long and she made the comment that at least she did not have to pay attention to the book, and still would not miss any content. My other issue is that I am not sure what the book wanted to be. It is written by two people with doctoral degrees, they make references to research that other people have done, but then give quotes, that while sounding good, are anecdotal at best. They would then reference a specific client that would help to prove their point.
Overall, I liked the title, it had some good points, and while it could have been shorter, it was not too long to make me not want to finish it.

[Jacqui Schischka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved loved loved this book. For me I actually think it could change my life. It is written for those who overthink, over-plan, overanalyse, wait for the right conditions etc before they start living a happy good life. Big things I picked up from this book is to start having some fun in your life as a happy fun life will be more productive. Other great things were starting now and failing your way to success (giving yourself permission not to be perfect from the get-go), changing your routine around to vary your surroundings and great tips for beating procrastination.

I am so enamoured with this book that I plan to start working on implementing it into my life constructively and plan to re-read it again shortly.

I really recommend this for those who are stuck in a rut, over-planning and are waiting until their life is in order until they have fun. Do it now!

[Lolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, If you're not sure about this book, here's the core idea; "Don't stress about failure, just give it a try and you'll definitely learn from this experience regardless of the outcome". If this idea is new for you, then you should read this book. If this idea is not new then this isn't the book for you.

I belong in the second group of people, so this idea wasn't new for me and expected more from the book. I expected more scientific backing, not stories like "Bob is a good person and wants to try something... blah blah". Or something like "Mr Millionaire tried a lot and failed a lot and learned a lot and now he's a millionaire, so you should do it too..." kind of thinking.

I would still recommend the book to someone that has fear of failure and/or is extremely perfectionist as it's a good place to get familiar with this kind of thinking.

[Amy Haydu · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this book wasn't about failing - it's about failing to take action. Don't hesitate to take a chance. Get out of your comfort zone. Be open to your environment.

As a fellow introvert, I appreciate the authors' perspective. I hope there will be additional collaborations between Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz.

I need to apply the advice to my own business. I think my business is a terrific opportunity for anyone willing to work, and it's affordable for all. So I'm taking a chance, and it may be a fail, but I'm hoping someone will take a look at this opportunity and contact me: aghaydu.myignite.com

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advices, but very general. Good for young adults. Lately, I am deeply involved in building innovation capability for a conglomerate and one major cultural challenge is to accept failure as a good thing. Picked this book up to see if any interesting insights. This book is focus on life and career advice. I did find redefining failure to be very good perspective.

Failure is

product testing
realizing more to be learned
finding mistake fast
prototype

[Jerry Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't write comments for reviews. But this book, was incredible and very inspiring. The information given wasn't just to make the reader, feel "good". the information was practical and easy to understand.

[شوق عادِل · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب جميل جدًا.. تجد نفسك دون شعور بدأت بتنفيذ الكثير من الوسائل المبتكرة التي قد تخرجك من محيط ضيّق إلى محيطٍ أوسع منه ..
كيف تتخطى مرحلة المنتصف الكريهة؟ وكيف تقفز إلى منصة الانطلاق؟
لا شك أنك ستبدأ بالبحث عن سبل التغيير الملائمة ثم تعتنقها.. كتاب يجعلك تعود إليه بعد فترة لتأخذ منه مجددًا.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was good, just not enough emphasis on what I was looking for, how to fail at work in a culture that moves slow. Alas, an enjoyable enough listen, and a good reminder that things don't ever...or never will be perfect. So just dive in and see what happens.

[Kanishka Raja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-helpy (but that's the entire point of the book I guess) but has a pithy, direct style. Helps you re-think about a lot of the status quo in your life.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. New way of looking at project, entrepreneurship, and more. "Just get started and don't worry about perfection or failure." Are you hesitating to start something? Read this book!

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the studies mentioned in the book, however I had read or heard about many of them before. Thought advise was general and not really about failure. Better books out there.

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consider exploring this book if you require a source of motivation to overcome procrastination or the paralysis caused by overthinking.

This book doesn't attempt to market a life-altering secret or any mystical formula for success. Instead, it offers practical and direct guidance. While it does cite real studies, the majority of its content consists of anecdotal accounts with an overarching moral. The book serves as a motivational push. The interesting aspect is that it lacks the physical discomfort of an actual kick and avoids the accompanying shame of being reprimanded by someone.

Being a meticulous planner myself, I recognise the occasional need to simply take action. This book's primary advice revolves around this notion: to just dive in, observe the outcomes, and make adjustments if necessary. While it doesn't present groundbreaking or revolutionary guidance, I appreciated the narratives and the straightforward manner in which the advice was presented.

What if your biggest mistake is that you never make mistakes? - WOW

Favourite quotes:
- "Go see for yourself" should be the first words out of the mouth of every career counsellor. There is no way to know how you'll feel about a given career until you experience it firsthand. It doesn't matter how much you read, research or ask people questions because those are other people's opinions, not yours.
- “Upon hearing this, you might think that he became a psychologist due to careful planning. But in fact, he stumbled into his career while pursuing his love of tennis.”
- When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me and I know I can never do it. Then, gradually, I write one page and then another. One day’s work is all that I can permit myself to contemplate. —JOHN STEINBECK, NOBEL PRIZE–WINNING AUTHOR OF THE GRAPES OF WRATH

Takeaways:
1. Do it, don't wait until you are ready, or you will waste the opportunity.
2. Do what you enjoy the most, not what gets you financial benefits. (TBA on this one)
3. Progress triggers satisfaction - make your tasks smaller so you can see the progress.
4. Don't be afraid of failure - do it and if you fail...so what?
5. Children try new things because they are curious and wanna learn, but as they grow older, they say, "What will I get from this? How will it benefit me?" Not everything should be beneficial.
6. Career tests and figuring out our career paths at a young age are nonsense. Not everyone finds their passion at a young age or decides what they want to do for the rest of their lives.
7. Our interests change all the time. So don't worry about anyone who tells you otherwise.
8. Hesitating and delaying decisions until you figure things out might be useless. Overthinking or "over-planning" will only drain our energy, and we give up before starting.

[Ajay Puvvala · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read. A lot of it is common sense but common sense that is not so commonly applied. That's what makes it important to read books such as these but NOT without questioning what qualifies as a failure and what doesn't. Misinterpreting failure can lead to false takeaways. How you strike a chord with it largely depends on your personal context, however. Certain points made will strike you hard if it reflects any part of you or your state. I did strike a chord with the chapters on Fail Fast, Fail Often, Don't Marry A Job Before Your First Date, and Overcome Analysis & Paralysis. You can probably imagine what the focus of these chapters could have been. But then again, keep in mind to think for yourself whetger examples cited are indeed good examples of failure.

The one thing that constantly going through my mind as I was reading this book is how silly it is to think it is not OK to change your mind. The book touches on this a bit but it is for everyone to mull over - both as one that is changing one's mind and as one "judging" someone else's change in mind. Think again and this time, think hard!

[Juanita · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay.I might have rated it higher if I hadn't read similar advice before. Basically recommends that you follow your interests instead of worrying about following your passions, not continuing down a path that you feel is wrong for you just because you already started down the road (ie you went to school for accounting but find the job soul sucking but feel the need to "use your degree", and how to make small steps towards large changes. Reminded me a bit of Cal Newport's advice in "so good they can't ignore you" and Elizabeth Gilbert's "big magic" (but this gives more concrete examples and exercises to try). Seems like it would be most useful for someone stuck in a career rut but there are examples of how to apply it to other areas of life.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz's "Fail Fast, Fail Often" contains a lot of information you're likely to have heard elsewhere, but that doesn't mean the book isn't helpful. In fact, it's a book that I think would be ideal for most college students (and even seniors in high school) to read. The thesis is as simple as the book's title. Counselors Babineaux and Krumboltz believe that science tells us the best way to experience fulfillment is through action.

Unsurprisingly, is driven by a pragmatic bent that doesn't contain the kind of philosophical and theological reflection one would want this kind of thinking paired with. For instance, Kevin DeYoung's "Just Do Something" would be a great book to read alongside "Fail Fast, Fail Often."


For more reviews see thebeehive.live.

[Saikat Basu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the advice is familiar to anyone interested in self-help literature. A simple premise that needs to be drilled into us. Take action and don't fear failure. But, this book goes a step further and show that there is a "right" way to fail. Right out of the gate it makes you reevaluate your mindset when it comes to starting anything and procrastination.

I found most of the value in the last 1/3rd of the book. So, scan through the book wherever you can. It is a light read and doesn't overwhelm you with too much of psycho-babble.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an audiobook driving back and forth to work. I am so glad I chose this book because I needed to hear this advice at this stage of our system migration. I've always advocated for breaking stuff because that's how you learn, but Babineaux takes it to the next level. His advice to do something small, immediately to generate momentum towards a goal instead of waiting until you're "ready" can have an immense impact on your life. In addition, I discovered through the first chapter's challenge that reframing your day by focusing on how much fun you can have is a great way to stay upbeat.

[Jiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book to solve all your problems but:
They give good examples of what happens when you do or don't approach certain challenges in life
Get over perfectionist thinking, overthinking and overplanning. Stop making excuses, procrastinate or take the safe path and talk yourself out of trying.

There are good examples of how to overcome struggles and obstacles by simply doing one small thing and then building on it.
I am familiar with many of the scenarios described in the book and am looking forward to tackle the challenges with some of the ideas presented in this book.