How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favourite failure?
Recorded Mikhail Gorbachev said elsewhere, not written here
A period of transition to a new quality in all spheres of society's life is accompanied by painful phenomena. When we were initiating perestroika we failed to properly assess and foresee everything. Our society turned out to be hard to move off the ground, not ready for major changes which affect people's vital interests and make them leave behind everything to which they had become accustomed over many years. In the beginning we imprudently generated great expectations, without taking into account the fact that it takes time for people to realize that all have to live and work differently, to stop expecting that new life would be given from above.

Oslo City Hall, The Nobel Foundation, 5 June 1991 source ↗

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Twyla Tharp Choreographer, dancer and author
You called it vision, I call it analyzing what my strengths were. It just so happened there was no market whatsoever for my strength, unless I was interested in becoming a show dancer, for which I tried, but I’m not tall enough. Also, when I auditioned for the Radio City Rockettes, they said, “We love your fouettés, but can’t you smile?” And things of that nature transpired between me and a commercial future. So, I managed to find a way of subsisting in the beginning by doing odd jobs, Kelly Girl temp work, selling perfume at Macy’s, and any and everything to be able to sustain studying and beginning a career with a group of dancers who were willing to devote five years, really, of their lives to me, working very seriously, with complete commitment, for not a penny.
Recorded Academy of Achievement (achievement.org), 1993 source ↗
Susan Butcher Dog musher; four-time winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
I feel that because I challenge myself so often, sometimes I will fail. This is, to me, the essence of competition — that there will be both winners and losers. But I have great faith in myself that I will turn this loss into something positive.
Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 29 June 1991 source ↗
Tony Fadell Engineer and designer; led the iPod and iPhone teams at Apple, founder of Nest Labs
I had such failure for the first ten years in Silicon Valley. General Magic — over a billion dollars invested in 1990 dollars! Could you imagine what that is today? The best team in the world. We were told we were gonna topple Microsoft and all these companies.
Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 5 February 2016 source ↗
Jensen Huang Co-founder, president and chief executive of NVIDIA
One setback after another, we shook it off and skated to the next opportunity. Each time, we gain skills and strengthen our character. No setback that comes our way doesn't look like an opportunity these days.
Recorded n/a, California Institute of Technology 130th Annual Commencement, 14 June 2024, NVIDIA Blog, 15 June 2024 source ↗

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Question What is something everyone in your world agrees about that you think is wrong? Values & belief
I have been suspected of utopian thinking more than once, and particularly when five years ago I proposed the elimination of nuclear weapons by the year 2000 and joint efforts to create a system of international security. It may well be that by that date it will not have happened. But look, merely five years have passed and have we not actually and noticeably moved in that direction?
Recorded Oslo City Hall, The Nobel Foundation, 5 June 1991 source ↗

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