Comments on: The Tyranny of Mistakes http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/ The excitable chap who's building a time tracking app Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:07:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: John http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1199 John Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:21:45 +0000 http://synapticmishap.co.uk/synapticmishap/?p=156#comment-1199 An excellent analogy, Frank. That makes total sense. Thanks for your comment and sorry about the delay in approving. An excellent analogy, Frank. That makes total sense.

Thanks for your comment and sorry about the delay in approving.

]]> By: Frank Paolino http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1054 Frank Paolino Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:33:27 +0000 http://synapticmishap.co.uk/synapticmishap/?p=156#comment-1054 I don't really like "fail early, fail often" either. For me, I liken failure to the Japanese samurai saying "the way of the warrior is death". It does not mean they are trying to die, any more than someone should try to fail. It means an irresolute acceptance of death as a possibility in battle, and therefore it holds no power over them. We need an irresolute acceptance of failure so it holds no power over us. Then we "engage in battle" or "build software" knowing "death" (failure) is always a possibility, but facing it and not letting it deter us in our mission. I don’t really like “fail early, fail often” either. For me, I liken failure to the Japanese samurai saying “the way of the warrior is death”. It does not mean they are trying to die, any more than someone should try to fail. It means an irresolute acceptance of death as a possibility in battle, and therefore it holds no power over them. We need an irresolute acceptance of failure so it holds no power over us. Then we “engage in battle” or “build software” knowing “death” (failure) is always a possibility, but facing it and not letting it deter us in our mission.

]]> By: John http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-292 John Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:56:11 +0000 http://synapticmishap.co.uk/synapticmishap/?p=156#comment-292 Although I do like the "fail early, fail often" phrase, I think it has some problems. 1. It's only used amongst developers - you won't hear anyone in other industries boasting about failing. 2. It's become so commonplace it's started to become a cliché. Even though clichés are true. 3. It applies well to iterative processes, but less so to anything else. 4. It could be argued that <a href="http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1555-learning-from-failure-is-overrated" rel="nofollow">learning from failure is overrated</a>. 5. There's some difficulties in a mantra that sounds like you're aiming for failure. I'm not sure it's ever appropriate to aim for failure - what I was arguing for instead was to <strong>expect</strong> failure. If I'm not surprised when it happens, it's much less of a drama. That will mean I focus properly on the fix. That will mean one mistake will be less likely to lead to others. I think there's another post in this. Thanks for your comment, Iain. Although I do like the “fail early, fail often” phrase, I think it has some problems.

1. It’s only used amongst developers – you won’t hear anyone in other industries boasting about failing.
2. It’s become so commonplace it’s started to become a cliché. Even though clichés are true.
3. It applies well to iterative processes, but less so to anything else.
4. It could be argued that learning from failure is overrated.
5. There’s some difficulties in a mantra that sounds like you’re aiming for failure.

I’m not sure it’s ever appropriate to aim for failure – what I was arguing for instead was to expect failure. If I’m not surprised when it happens, it’s much less of a drama. That will mean I focus properly on the fix. That will mean one mistake will be less likely to lead to others.

I think there’s another post in this. Thanks for your comment, Iain.

]]> By: John http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-291 John Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:28:29 +0000 http://synapticmishap.co.uk/synapticmishap/?p=156#comment-291 Thanks for your comment, Kevin. Thanks for your comment, Kevin.

]]> By: Iain Porter http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-287 Iain Porter Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:01:24 +0000 http://synapticmishap.co.uk/synapticmishap/?p=156#comment-287 I think the phrase is "fail early, fail often" - we'd be nowhere without our mistakes. I think the phrase is “fail early, fail often” – we’d be nowhere without our mistakes.

]]> By: Kevin McDonagh http://lapsusapp.co.uk/2009/08/11/the-tyranny-of-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Kevin McDonagh Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:25:38 +0000 http://synapticmishap.co.uk/synapticmishap/?p=156#comment-280 If you're not making mistakes you are not trying hard enough. Well done for putting in the effort. If you’re not making mistakes you are not trying hard enough. Well done for putting in the effort.

]]>