Big companies make big mistakes all the time.

For instance:

In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company replaced Coca-Cola with a product called “New Coke”.  They received over 40,000 complaints about the taste of New Coke.

When Microsoft launched Windows Vista in 2006, the software had more bugs than a flea circus in a swamp.  And Microsoft received a deluge of negative criticism.

And in 2019, Netflix cancelled the popular series The OA after 2 seasons, leaving a cliff-hanger ending.  International outcry followed.

But if you look behind the scenes, something else might be going on here.

When the Coca Cola Co withdrew New Coke from the market, sales surged for the original Coca Cola.

Windows Vista paved the way for the 2009 launch of Windows 7.  For almost 10 years, Windows 7 was the most popular operating system in the world.

And Netflix often cancels smash hits after a couple of seasons to focus on getting new customers via buzz on new shows (even when the OA fandom are flailing their arms and stomping their feet).  And in 2020, Netflix broke its yearly record for net additional subscribers.

Now here’s the thing…

Maybe these examples were complete mistakes.  Everyday, run of the mill screw ups.

But maybe they weren’t.  Maybe they were deliberate mistakes instead.

It’s not easy to tell.  Companies will always be coy about their mistakes.  After all, admitting to a mistake can reduce confidence and damage reputations.

But that doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen.  They do.  They happen all the time.

And my claim is this:

Not only do mistakes happen…

But making mistakes is something we should all be doing more of.

Why?

Because mistakes don’t hold you back.  Instead, they help you move forward.

Mistakes are how we learn.  How we try something out, experience something new and get useful feedback and results.

None of these outcomes sounds like making a mistake to me.  In fact, they sound shrewd.  

Just look at the impacts for the examples above.

And if we want to be pedantic – or give credit to these companies – we could call them “experiments” instead of “mistakes”.

But it doesn’t really matter how we label them.

The point is this:

Trying something “incorrect” might be exactly the thing you should be trying.

So what mistakes can you make today?

Catch you tomorrow.

 - Tom

p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me