Museum of Failure

I visited the Museum of Failure yesterday. It was a humorous experience on the other side of innovation. For every hit, there are hundreds of misses. And that’s okay.

The museum’s mission: “Innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks.”

Here are some of my favorite failures:

• Apple Pippin: Apple’s failed internet-capable gaming console that shuttered in a year in the 90s.

• Hula chair: A gyrating seat that is supposed to be the ultimate ab-workout “where you can sit and get fit.”

• Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime: A doll that “ate” plastic snacks but became a nightmare when it started gnawing on kids’ fingers + hair and did not let go!

• UroClub: A golf club that you could urinate into (!!) with a towel-like piece of fabric (‘privacy shield’) to be more discreet.

• Trump Ice: Donald Trump’s own branded bottle water….among many other failed ventures.

It was an excellent reminder that stumbles are part of life. Even major corporations flush with cash and personnel screw up too. And they had a failure wall where you could share your flukes — and laugh about it too. ❌

“Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo” - Jon Sinclair