--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To develop working ideas efficiently, I…" description: "\"To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can.\" — Richard P. Feynman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/richard-p-feynman-495_failing_to-develop-working-ideas-efficiently-i-t_2907241.png" --- # To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as… ![“To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can.” quote by Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/richard-p-feynman-495_failing_to-develop-working-ideas-efficiently-i-t_2907241.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/richard-p-feynman-495_failing_to-develop-working-ideas-efficiently-i-t_2907241.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/richard-p-feynman-495_failing_to-develop-working-ideas-efficiently-i-t_2907241.png) > “To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can.” [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rapid failure reveals flaws early, allowing efficient development of ideas. **In simple terms:** Fail quickly to improve ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace fast failure. Themes innovation learning experimentation Mood inquisitive encouraging Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - research labs - startup development - product design - education Key Concepts scientific method iterative design Questions to Reflect On - How can you create safe environments for rapid failure? - What metrics indicate when to iterate versus persist? A Different Perspective Fast failure can waste resources if not guided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Develop Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/develop-working-4167078/) [Efficiently Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiently-try-4167077/) [Fail Fast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-fast/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Efficiently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-efficiently-4167076/) [Try Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-fail/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [This is great if you know all those "not to do" strategies. Sometimes you learn the "not to do's" by doing. The key is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-capodagli/this-is-great-if-you-know-all-those-not-to-do-strategies-sometimes/) [Bill Capodagli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-capodagli/) > [Let's try and fail because through failure you learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/let-s-try-and-fail-because-through-failure-you-learn/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [Men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-jones/men-who-try-to-do-something-and-fail-are-infinitely-better-than-those/) [Lloyd Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-jones/) > [When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/when-i-try-i-fail-when-i-trust-he-succeeds/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [if you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes back bone to lead the life you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/if-you-don-t-try-at-anything-you-can-t-fail-it-takes-back-bone-to/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [Yes I try to do everything I can not to fail hideously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-balaban/yes-i-try-to-do-everything-i-can-not-to-fail-hideously/) [Bob Balaban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-balaban/) > [There are a few books I can recommend, but one you should read for sure is 'Do More Faster,' a book full of advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tans/there-are-a-few-books-i-can-recommend-but-one-you-should-read-for/) [Gillian Tans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tans/) > ['Fail hard, fail fast, fail often. It's the key to success.' This one I learned from experience!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshma-saujani/fail-hard-fail-fast-fail-often-it-s-the-key-to-success-this-one-i/) [Reshma Saujani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshma-saujani/) > [“Fail Fast, Fail Forward, Fail Fruitfully”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fail-fast-fail-forward-fail-fruitfully/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For me, I think failing is great, because if you fail fast and you learn how to fail, you can use that to build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-rubin/for-me-i-think-failing-is-great-because-if-you-fail-fast-and-you/) [Michael G. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-rubin/) > [Fail fast. Fail often... The most talented people in the world have bad ideas. That's a good thing to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/fail-fast-fail-often-the-most-talented-people-in-the-world-have-bad/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [If you want to be an entrepreneur, fail as fast as you can. The longer you go without that experience, the more afraid you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffry-a-timmons/if-you-want-to-be-an-entrepreneur-fail-as-fast-as-you-can-the-longer/) [Jeffry A Timmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffry-a-timmons/) > [Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/test-fast-fail-fast-adjust-fast/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Fail fast, fail hard, fail often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reshma-saujani/fail-fast-fail-hard-fail-often/) [Reshma Saujani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reshma-saujani/) ## More by Richard P. Feynman > [“Philosophers have said before that one of the fundamental requisites of science is that whenever you set up the same conditions, the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/philosophers-have-said-before-that-one-of-the-fundamental-requisites/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [My rule is, when you are unhappy, think about it. But when you're happy, don't. Why spoil it? You're probably happy for some ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/my-rule-is-when-you-are-unhappy-think-about-it-but-when-you-re-happy/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Trying to understand the way nature works involves a most terrible test of human reasoning ability. It involves subtle trickery, beautiful tightropes of logic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/trying-to-understand-the-way-nature-works-involves-a-most-terrible/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Today's brains are yesterday's mashed potatoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/today-s-brains-are-yesterday-s-mashed-potatoes/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Mathematics is a language plus reasoning; it is like a language plus logic. Mathematics is a tool for reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/mathematics-is-a-language-plus-reasoning-it-is-like-a-language-plus/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [It is necessary for the very existence of science that minds exist which do not allow that nature must satisfy some preconceived conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/it-is-necessary-for-the-very-existence-of-science-that-minds-exist/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“There was a Princess Somebody of Denmark sitting at a table with a number of people around her, and I saw an empty chair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/there-was-a-princess-somebody-of-denmark-sitting-at-a-table-with-a/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [All the time you're saying to yourself, 'I could do that, but I won't,'--which is just another way of saying that you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/all-the-time-you-re-saying-to-yourself-i-could-do-that-but-i-won-t/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“There's a big difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/there-s-a-big-difference-between-knowing-the-name-of-something-and/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [The fact that you are not sure means that it is possible that there is another way someday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/the-fact-that-you-are-not-sure-means-that-it-is-possible-that-there/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [You can always recognize truth by its beauty and simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/you-can-always-recognize-truth-by-its-beauty-and-simplicity/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [One cannot understand... the universality of laws of nature, the relationship of things, without an understanding of mathematics. There is no other way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/one-cannot-understand-the-universality-of-laws-of-nature-the/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Mathematics is not just a language. Mathematics is a language plus reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/mathematics-is-not-just-a-language-mathematics-is-a-language-plus/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [A poet once said, "The whole universe is in a glass of wine." We will probably never know in what sense he meant that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/a-poet-once-said-the-whole-universe-is-in-a-glass-of-wine-we-will/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I was a very shy character, always feeling uncomfortable because everybody was stronger than I, and always afraid I would look like a sissy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-was-a-very-shy-character-always-feeling-uncomfortable-because/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) [Explore all 515 Richard P. Feynman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) ## More Failing quotes > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [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/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [Trial by jury. Live wherever you can make a living. How could a government based on such principles fail?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/trial-by-jury-live-wherever-you-can-make-a-living-how-could-a/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [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/) > [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [When I paint, I never think of selling. People simply fail to understand that we paint in order to experiment and to develop ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/when-i-paint-i-never-think-of-selling-people-simply-fail-to/) [Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I wake up every morning fearing I am going to fail. But I love a challenge, big or small. There's so much I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mone/i-wake-up-every-morning-fearing-i-am-going-to-fail-but-i-love-a/) [Michelle Mone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mone/) > [What I want is to be willing to fail rather than stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/what-i-want-is-to-be-willing-to-fail-rather-than-stagnate/) [James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The very first company I started failed with a great bang. The second one failed a little bit less, but still failed. The third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-levchin/the-very-first-company-i-started-failed-with-a-great-bang-the-second/) [Max Levchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-levchin/) [Browse all 5,634 Failing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To develop working ideas efficiently, I try to fail as fast as I can.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard P. 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