Fail Fast, Die Fast

This concept of the tech world has been quite fascinating to me. Courtesy: Silicon Valley and the established entrepreneurs that breathe tech all way long. Although the international publications covering tech make ample mention of the developments happening in and around their office spades and beyond, yet it was while reviewing Sanjay Phadke’s book  “Fintech Future” that I really got a hang of how tech companies do really work. Be it BAT (Baidu, Ant and Tencent) of China, or FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google) of the United States, one of the major things worth noting about their characters was that these tech firms love experimenting, be engaging in several demonstration sessions and thus implementing the same, which’d further be yielded in their results. 

A significant change and a different way of operation would be reserved for the banks, where it’d take almost a decade to bring about changes in the forms of banking, yet when one change was being implemented, it’d be stretching for the next century. The tech domain, on the other hand, lives by the mantra of “Fail fast, recover faster.” I’d still be living under the same notion had not this article from a national daily mentioned about how several neo banks have been failing in Australia. 

The catchphrase of the entire article was “Fail fast, die fast,” undoubtedly indicating that if the future ahead looks tad cloudy, then it’s better to die rather than choke oneself up entirely. This had gotten me to think quite intensely about how we do treat ourselves, and how many times on earth do we actually refrain ourselves from not taking a step, merely with the fear of getting judged. What we fail to gather is that where and how would these opinions of people matter in the long run, when none would be accountable other than the self for all the loopholes? 

And, of course, there are failures all around, one that awaits an entire judgemental session all over again. The societal structures perhaps are responsible for this, where a meagre failure in a simple undertaking seems like a heinous crime, and most importantly it’d be showcased as an emblem to the future generations, and everyone around so that they shouldn’t be walking that path ever again. In the West, and mostly in the technology space, people regard failure quite as a parcel of life and even indulge in its celebrations, a concept that’s quite alien to us. Leave that apart, someone being unemployed, and taking some time to figure out life still is considered the greatest shame of all times. Infact, unemployment in itself is a taboo, one that has been given the same dignity over the years. 

Lastly, coming to think of it, in my humble opinion I still hold the thought that “Failures are the pillars of success.” And, with every failure comes an opportunity to prove and thrive. Thus, when I sit back and contemplate whether this catchphrase “Fail fast, die fast” seems a little demeaning and disheartening in itself, and at one go, a parallel voice continues in the same rhythm. One that says - Failure, yes. But only to succeed again. Death? Yes, but only to rise up all over again, and this time leaving a legacy behind.