--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You need the willingness to fail all the…" description: "\"You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don’t wor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png" --- # You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to… ![“You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don’t work. And you keep doing that over and over until you find one that does work.” quote by John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png) > “You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don’t work. And you keep doing that over and over until you find one that does work.” [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes relentless experimentation and perseverance, noting that repeated failure is essential to eventual success. **In simple terms:** Repeated failure leads to eventual success. Key Takeaway Persist through failure to innovate. Themes innovation perseverance learning Mood determined hopeful Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - product development - research labs - startup pivots - design sprints Key Concepts software engineering creative process problem solving Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated after repeated setbacks? - What structures help turn failures into learning? A Different Perspective Constant failure can be demoralizing without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [You need the willingness to fail all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [I think we need more willingness to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cmat/i-think-we-need-more-willingness-to-fail/) [CMAT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cmat/) > [The willingness to fail gives us the freedom to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/the-willingness-to-fail-gives-us-the-freedom-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [Theres nothing big or small about it. They need wings and we need willingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biman-gandhi/theres-nothing-big-or-small-about-it-they-need-wings-and-we-need/) [Biman Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biman-gandhi/) > [Your willingness to fail is what will let you succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/your-willingness-to-fail-is-what-will-let-you-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [If you fail the first time that's just a chance to start over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-wilkens/if-you-fail-the-first-time-that-s-just-a-chance-to-start-over-again/) [Lenny Wilkens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-wilkens/) > [Nobody said that becoming successful would ever be an easy task by any means. One must be willing to fail and fail time again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/nobody-said-that-becoming-successful-would-ever-be-an-easy-task-by/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [We need willingness to consider different mission in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/we-need-willingness-to-consider-different-mission-in-iraq/) [Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/) > [“You have two options. work on someone else's ideas and make some money or generate ideas make them work and become a millionaire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-llamas/you-have-two-options-work-on-someone-else-s-ideas-and-make-some-money/) [Roberto Llamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-llamas/) > [I tend to work on a song, generate ideas, and re-arrange it like five times, and I'm glad I take the time to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britta-phillips/i-tend-to-work-on-a-song-generate-ideas-and-re-arrange-it-like-five/) [Britta Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britta-phillips/) > [When I first started to get into writing, it was via music. I'd generate ideas for songs that would turn into stories, then they'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-i-first-started-to-get-into-writing-it-was-via-music-i-d/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [While the tendency to generate ideas is rather natural, the path to making them happen is tumultuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/while-the-tendency-to-generate-ideas-is-rather-natural-the-path-to/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [“Divergent thinking is that one starts thinking from one point and expands from there to generate more ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/divergent-thinking-is-that-one-starts-thinking-from-one-point-and/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Computers can be taught that certain tune or certain chords changes will sound pleasant together, but I don't think it's going to reach a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/computers-can-be-taught-that-certain-tune-or-certain-chords-changes/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) ## More by John Backus > [They don't like thinking in medical school. They memorize - that's all they want you to do. You must not think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/they-don-t-like-thinking-in-medical-school-they-memorize-that-s-all/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [Von Neumann languages do not have useful properties for reasoning about programs. Axiomatic and denotational semantics are precise tools for describing and understanding conventional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/von-neumann-languages-do-not-have-useful-properties-for-reasoning/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [You need the willingness to fail all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [Much of my work has come from being lazy. I didn't like writing programs, and so, when I was working on the IBM 701…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/much-of-my-work-has-come-from-being-lazy-i-didn-t-like-writing/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [Much of my work has come from being lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/much-of-my-work-has-come-from-being-lazy/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [I, myself, have had many failures and I've learned that if you are not failing a lot, you are probably not being as creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/i-myself-have-had-many-failures-and-i-ve-learned-that-if-you-are-not/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) [Explore all 7 John Backus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) Browse all 25,574 Doe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only to discover that they don’t work. And you keep doing that over and over until you find one that does work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Backus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time-you-have-to-generate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time-you-have-to-generate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/john-backus-51872_doe_you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the_1158018.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work…” — John Backus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Backus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You need the willingness to fail...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time-you-have-to-generate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time-you-have-to-generate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```