Failure & regret

What has been your biggest disappointment?

375 answers answered between 1991 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

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Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 2 Arts and letters 314 Politics and public life 25 Business and finance 11 Technology 1 Sport 21
Read by age Any age Before thirty 16 In their thirties 58 In their forties 82 In their fifties 81 In their sixties 73 Seventy and beyond 54
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Yvon Chouinard Founder of Patagonia
That was certainly the single darkest day of the company's history.
Recorded Robin Barton, profile sidebar, The Observer, 25 February 2007 source ↗
Heston Blumenthal English chef
When we bought the contaminated oysters and I made the decision to close the Fat Duck, not knowing if I would ever open again.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 October 2011 source ↗
Tommy Hilfiger American fashion designer
My first business, People's Place, went bankrupt in the mid-70s.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 December 2011 source ↗
Prue Leith South African-British chef, broadcaster, and writer
Public catering in the parks, where we lost a tonne of money. Now the public will buy excellent simple, fresh food. All they wanted in the 80s were slimy burgers, Mr Whippy and Coke.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 May 2012 source ↗
Gino D'Acampo Italian-British celebrity chef and media personality
That Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup this year.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 December 2022 source ↗

1 answer from members

Not being able to start my own company

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