Sometimes, if we pay close attention, we can learn as much from failures as from successes. Especially what not to do. Let us explore the Museum of Failure. It is located in Sweden, with periodic exhibits in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
First, from our blog, take a look at these two posts: Marketing Mistakes to Avoid and Learning from Failure.
To Be Better Prepared: Explore the Museum of Failure
As the Museum of Failure’s home page states:
Museum of Failure presents a collection of failed products and services from around the world. The majority of all innovation projects fail. And the museum showcases these failures to provide visitors a fascinating learning experience. Every item provides unique insight into the risky business of innovation.
Innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure. And to inspire us to take meaningful risks. The museum is curated by Dr. Samuel West, licensed psychologist, PhD in Organizational Psychology.
In addition, the Museum of Failure produces an interesting blog.
As an example of what the museum is about, consider its exhibit on the Nike Magneto:
1995 – 1997 — Nike’s vision was certainly short-sighted when it came to its Magneto eyewear. Cool looking – check, endorsed by star athletes – check, named after a comic book superhero – double check! The trouble: They required gluing a magnet to your head so the eyewear would clip on to the magnets. Wait… what? Nike then-CEO, Mark Parker admitted to blurred vision. Then, he killed the project proving even companies with 20/20 insight can fail.
To conclude, watch this third-party video on the Museum of Failure.