Embracing Failure: Why Big Winners Pay for Many Experiments

The robotics club at East Haven High wanted to win the regional championship, but every year their big, expensive robot would fail after months of work. This year, their new advisor challenged them: 'Let’s build three different prototypes, fast—and let’s expect at least two to break.' Some students rolled their eyes, certain focus on one perfect design was best. They sketched three drafts, built each using scrap parts, and kept the builds cheap. Within two weeks, two bots flopped dramatically—one toppled over every turn, and another’s arms jammed constantly. Only the third showed promise, incorporating a simple pulley from the first and a sensor idea from the second.

Reflecting on what happened, the team saw something surprising: they learned more in three weeks than in the last three months of prior years. Instead of feeling discouraged, they were energized. They were less afraid to try, even when failure was almost guaranteed, because nobody’s reputation was at stake and the 'losers' taught them important new solutions. Competition day came, and not only did their refined bot hold up—it earned them a 'Best Innovation' award for a feature inspired by a failed prototype.

Business science calls this the 'portfolio effect' of innovation. Most great inventions are subsidized by dozens of experiments that don’t succeed, but also don’t bankrupt the team. Big organizations—and effective individuals—prepare for failure’s cost, making sure the few blockbusters are obvious because they outsize the sum of the losses.

Don’t be afraid to set up several small experiments—be it with your hobbies, work routines, or creative ideas—even if you suspect most will flop or feel undercooked. Keep notes on what surprised you, what you’d tweak next time, and be quick to share both your proudest failures and the lessons learned. By multiplying safe, quick experiments, you’re stacking the odds so that eventually a big winner will emerge, often in places you never expected. Give yourself permission to try—and fail—more often this week, and see what new ideas or confidence show up.