Failing fast

Johnnie Moore

Johnnie Moore

I’m Johnnie Moore, and I help people work better together

It seems like everyone is singing the benefits of fast failure these days. Avoid blame cultures! Throw mud at the wall! Just give it a try! If it doesn’t work no big deal.

I get it. We’re so very agile don’t you know.

But I also sense a big disconnect between the theory and the practice – in my own life and in those of many others I see.

I suspect part of the problem is that the idea of fast failure often comes bundled up with a notion of toughness. As in, “get over it”. We humans don’t really like the idea of being vulnerable. even though in many ways we are. Failure hurts, even if it shouldn’t. Noble failure probably hurts even more.

Is there room for that in an agile world? Just asking.

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