HOW TO FAIL IN 3 EASY STEPS

December 17, 2023 Paloma Karst

Step 1. Have a great idea and start working on it.	Step 2. Question your idea, literally second guess everything you are doing.	Step 3. Realize your idea sucks and stop working on it, it's worthless

Good job!

You failed!

If you'd like to fail without failing, please keep reading!

Step 1. Have a great idea

The goal is not to have a bulletproof idea, but an idea you like, and an idea that meets your basic requirements (I'll write a future post on basic requirements!).

Coffee filter holder

This is my first attempt at creating a coffee filter holder. We love coffee in our household, and I didn't like having the filters in a drawer. I wanted something cute to place them on. I started by modeling the size and shape of the #4 coffee filters, and then went from there.

Step 2. Question your idea and have a comeback!

If you get easily discouraged like me, worry no more!

This is a list of 5 comebacks I often use when second-guessing myself. It helps to look at yourself in the mirror when saying it (a little bit crazy, but effective).

The 5 comebacks:

The first try is always a prototype, not a final product.
Prototypes always fail.
Prototypes must fail fast (Read the art of imperfection for more on this).
You want something; that's why you started working on this idea. You had nothing before, you will have something in the end, even if it's a failed something, so chop chop.
Ideas and execution of ideas can always be done better! It's called innovation and continuous improvement. So finish what you are doing and you can improve the next one.

@ino.marketplace Stupid dinosaur ruining our prints. #slay #dinosaur #3dprinting ♬ Oh No (Instrumental) - Kreepa

I didn't take many pictures of the iteration process, but you'll notice my first proto is very different from the final product. This video shows one of the many iterations, at this point I thought it was best to 3D print the coffee filter holder in a single piece. This strategy failed miserably.

Step 3. Realize your idea sucks and get back at it!

The comebacks didn't work, ha? You already stopped working on it? Worry not!

Take a break. You can come back later using the s e c r e t w e a p o n.

The secret weapon

I like to call it the Restart Feature.

Have you ever been listening to music, and then all of a sudden you realize you haven't been enjoying the song enough or paying attention, so you restart it? Same concept.

But before you start using the Restart Feature, ask yourself what inspired your idea in the first place:

Was it meant to be a gift for a family member or friend?
Was it an item to help me accomplish something functional?
Was it meant to be a decor item for my enjoyment?
Was it meant to just be something to do to relax you?
Did I intend to sell this?

Remember that you want to enjoy the process more this time. Reminding yourself what inspired your idea will get you back on track, and this time you'll be prepared and ready to fight the intrusive thoughts.