The way you view failure can dramatically alter the path you take to success.
Milton Reeves built terrible cars. They were large, loud, smelly, and hard to drive.
He built the eight-wheeled monstrosity, “OctoAuto”, with the idea that eight wheels would make his car ride as nicely as the Pullman train cars it was modeled after. He took his pet beast to the inaugural Indianapolis 500 but failed to attract any serious buyers. Thinking the problem was the number of wheels, the tireless Mr. Reeves took an axle off the front of his car and called it the “Sext-Auto”. That model simply attracted more laughs. His cars were failures.
So why do we remember Milton Reeves as a success?
In the course of developing automobiles that were abysmal failures Milton Reeves is credited with producing the first auto muffler and variable-speed transmission ever used in a car. He failed to design a popular car but he succeeded in bringing lasting innovations to the auto industry. His “failures” are responsible for much of the comfort you enjoy whenever you drive a car.
When you look back on past failures, are you in the habit of writing off entire projects and experiences or do you search for the triumphs lurking within every disappointment?
It may turn out that you have not failed at all. Milton Reeves did not live to see his dream realized by Dr. Hiroshi Shimizu and his team at Keio University. The OctoAuto is back, it’s electric, and it’s very, very fast.
Do you know of any other examples of successes that started as failures? Perhaps a story of your own? I’d like to hear it!
