You Are Supposed to Fail

Guy Raz Newsletter – September 5, 2024

There is an inherent risk in committing your life to a single pursuit.

The most obvious risk, of course, is that it fails.

No one likes the idea of looking back on years and years of effort, only to conclude that it was time wasted.

Except…

I’m starting to believe this rarely happens.

In other words, I’ve met and even interviewed lots and lots of people who toiled away on projects and ideas, only to see them fail.

And in every case, that person was supposed to fail.

It’s almost like there’s a cosmic force that derails you on purpose in order to put you on the right path.

Case in point: James Dyson.

Years before he invented his famous vacuum cleaner, James devoted his life to creating a revolutionary wheelbarrow.

It was called the Ballbarrow and instead of a wheel in front, it had a large plastic sphere—imagine a hardened yoga ball—which made it easier to maneuver in dirt.

Unfortunately, Dyson’s investors kicked him out of the company and the product eventually died.

Adding insult to injury, the i…