Business Quote by Jason Fried
““Failure is not a prerequisite for success. A Harvard Business School study found already-successful entrepreneurs are far more likely to succeed again (the success rate for their future companies is 34 percent). But entrepreneurs whose companies failed the first time had almost the same follow-on success rate as people starting a company for the first time: just 23 percent. People who failed before have the same amount of success as people who have never tried at all.* Success is the experience that actually counts.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson, 2010
Success depends more on experience and learning than on prior failure; both failed and first‑time entrepreneurs have similar future success rates.
In simple terms: Success is about learning, not just avoiding failure.
Key Takeaway
Focus on gaining experience.
Themes
entrepreneurship
resilience
learning
Mood
determined
optimistic
Type
advice
motivational
When to use this quote
- starting a business
- pivoting after failure
- investor pitches
- team building
Key Concepts
growth mindset
experience value
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you turn past setbacks into actionable lessons?
- What experience do you need to improve your odds?
A Different Perspective
Failure alone doesn’t guarantee future success; many factors influence outcomes.
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![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)