This is another one of those books that I think that everyone should read.  A volume outlining the real dangers of not learning from your mistakes, and the many benefits of embracing your own evolution through (controlled) trial and error.

Having been a startup CEO, and now Head of Technology at another startup I’ve worked, in context, enough to see Cognitive dissonance at play in the majority of businesses I see.  This, for me, was one of those books that gives you that super human power of ‘hindsight’, the time you need to really think about your own actions and the way that I went about trying to build a business.

From the harrowing examples given in the first few chapters to the more focused technical thinking of the later this book gave me that “aha!” feeling about the whole “fail fast” movement.

Being through accelerators and having attended more events and pitches than you can shake a stick at I have been left with a feeling of, almost, rage when thinking about the way so many people talk with pride about how they’ve spunked 100k, half a £1m, £3m away.  Now I realise why I was hearing the story, and what I should try to do about it.  The lessons that they learnt cost them £3m, the same thing just cost me £14 and 12 hours of being challenged and entertained.

MAIN TAKEAWAY:  It’s easy to create a reality where the decisions you are making are the right ones, and to think that you are right in every way.  Personally, I will be writing hypothesis and actions before I take them from now on so that I can hold myself accountable and maximise the learning, and opportunity,  that can come from failure.

You can purchase the book on amazon here.