Reading Reflection No. 2
I read How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams.
1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
The general theme of the book is that one cannot be discouraged after failing. Scott Adams had failed in so much in his life that he wrote a book all about it, yet he was still able to succeed in something that he grew a lot of passion for and he probably doesn't regret the route that he took to get there. He learned from his past experiences, took them and applied it to his next new adventure, whether it be a new business or a new job. He wanted us to learn from his book that our failures are what puts us on that path of success that we desire, and that if we work smarter, then we can all get there eventually.
1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
The general theme of the book is that one cannot be discouraged after failing. Scott Adams had failed in so much in his life that he wrote a book all about it, yet he was still able to succeed in something that he grew a lot of passion for and he probably doesn't regret the route that he took to get there. He learned from his past experiences, took them and applied it to his next new adventure, whether it be a new business or a new job. He wanted us to learn from his book that our failures are what puts us on that path of success that we desire, and that if we work smarter, then we can all get there eventually.
2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
In my opinion, I think the book connected with and enhanced what I was learning in ENT 3003 when it came to starting a business, but not having all the resources to succeed. Scott Adams had started many business ventures, each time he was excited about it because he knew there was a need for that certain product. But many of these business ventures had failed because of different reasons such as there wasn't a market for it, the product was too simple, the product wasn't able to get the marketing and PR that it needed to become successful, etc. Even though he failed, Adams learnt something important from each failure and kept moving forward towards what could be his next successful business.
In my opinion, I think the book connected with and enhanced what I was learning in ENT 3003 when it came to starting a business, but not having all the resources to succeed. Scott Adams had started many business ventures, each time he was excited about it because he knew there was a need for that certain product. But many of these business ventures had failed because of different reasons such as there wasn't a market for it, the product was too simple, the product wasn't able to get the marketing and PR that it needed to become successful, etc. Even though he failed, Adams learnt something important from each failure and kept moving forward towards what could be his next successful business.
3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
The exercise that I would design is to have all students look back onto all of their failures and think about what they did right and what they did wrong. But instead of dwelling on the things that they did wrong, I want them to look at their failure as a positive and try to pick out something that they have learned from that specific failure. Failing is a part of life and necessary in growth, so instead of being embarrassed or ashamed of your failures, the book has made me think that failing might eventually lead me down the right path and that I should look back to them as a positive thing.
The exercise that I would design is to have all students look back onto all of their failures and think about what they did right and what they did wrong. But instead of dwelling on the things that they did wrong, I want them to look at their failure as a positive and try to pick out something that they have learned from that specific failure. Failing is a part of life and necessary in growth, so instead of being embarrassed or ashamed of your failures, the book has made me think that failing might eventually lead me down the right path and that I should look back to them as a positive thing.
4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
From reading the book, I was most surprised about how Adams was able to find his success in something that he didn't even plan on doing. He became a popular cartoonist even though he had studied economics and had worked in banks. Reading the book made me realize that his mind was never settled in one place but rather he was always coming up with new ideas and possible business ventures. Even though there was a time in his childhood that he wanted to be a cartoonist, it was never really his end goal yet he was able to be very successful in it. I was also very surprised about how real the book was, you don't really read about failures in life. But I found myself actually wanting to apply Adams's philosophies in my own life because it was the most realistic and more attainable. Every fails at one point, and thus we have to make decisions not fearing this failure to really learn and grow as a person, especially in the business world.
From reading the book, I was most surprised about how Adams was able to find his success in something that he didn't even plan on doing. He became a popular cartoonist even though he had studied economics and had worked in banks. Reading the book made me realize that his mind was never settled in one place but rather he was always coming up with new ideas and possible business ventures. Even though there was a time in his childhood that he wanted to be a cartoonist, it was never really his end goal yet he was able to be very successful in it. I was also very surprised about how real the book was, you don't really read about failures in life. But I found myself actually wanting to apply Adams's philosophies in my own life because it was the most realistic and more attainable. Every fails at one point, and thus we have to make decisions not fearing this failure to really learn and grow as a person, especially in the business world.
Hi Mia,
ReplyDeleteI think it's crazy as well how people can find success without intentionally looking for it, when many strive so hard to reach their dreams. However, success is a relative term. Does success mean financially or happiness? For me, I don't know but one day I am hoping to find out. I'm not even quite sure what i want to do for a living, only a general idea. Very thought-provoking post!
Hi Mia,
ReplyDeleteYour exercise seems like an effective way to understand why something failed, and redesign those factors to suit the product or target audience in a better way. As you mentioned, the book’s own general theme was based on failure serving as a way to reorient the business to become more successful. Many businesses fail in their products, but have to learn from the customer’s reactions to succeed rather than go out of business.
Hi Mia, I really enjoyed reading your post. I read the same book for this assignment and had similar views as you about the book. I really liked the exercise that you came up with for the class. I think that reflecting on failures with a positive attitude and learning from the experience to improve themselves is very important for an entrepreneur. Overall, it is a great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Mia,
ReplyDeleteI too read How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams. I feel this book really speaks out to college students in general because I see too many times college students are beating themselves up over their grades when in reality classes are tough and sometimes you just have to get things more than once to be successful. I feel that this is what Scott Adams was trying to say.