Celebrating Failure

Have You Heard?

A networking event that takes place around the world embraces what used to be a business embarrassment.

A worldwide movement, which was founded in Mexico and has chapters in more than 250 cities across 80 different countries, came to Berlin last week.

The networking event, which loosely translates to “Failure Nights,” has become an established platform that was designed to help those involved in start-ups and young businesses to learn from others’ mistakes.

Patrick Wagner, one of the event’s organisers told BBC News, “The Germans really have problems talking about their failures. Seventy per cent of all start-ups [in Germany] are going to fail … but even in Economic Studies, you don’t get a single lesson about insolvency.”

In an effort to challenge the cultural taboo Wagner touched on, Max Riedel, a Berlin-born business owner, addressed an audience of young, aspiring individuals, to celebrate the “25 hard mistakes” he made in the early days of his events company, Holi Concept. Following which, he received enthusiastic applause.