So much of life stays unlived because we're afraid to get it wrong.
The Failure School is a four-week online course that trains you to try things before you feel ready. A small group, one chapter a week, and a live session each week where everyone is failing too.
The founding cohort is free, for up to 15 people, and starts Thursday 12 November. Applying takes about two minutes.
Sound familiar?
- “I've had the idea for two years. I still haven't told anyone.”
- “I rewrote the email six times. Then didn't send it.”
- “I stay quiet in the meeting, then think of what I should have said.”
- “I only do things I'm already good at.”
That isn't laziness. It's fear of getting it wrong, and it can be trained.
Hi, I'm Phil.
I run workshops for teams and organizations around the world. Whatever the room, I see the same thing: smart people sitting on good ideas because they're scared of getting it wrong in front of everyone else.
The Failure School is where we practice the opposite. Small, real attempts, made in good company, until trying stops feeling like a risk.
I'll be in the room with you, and I'll go first.
Phil SmithsonFounder, The Failure School
How it works
Four weeks, one chapter a week. Each week has three parts.
A short lesson
A short video and a few exercises. Do it at your own pace, whenever suits you.
One real thing to try
Each week's homework happens in your own life: an ask, a message, an idea you finally share.
A weekly live session
About 75 minutes online with your group. You talk through how your week went, done or not, and set up your next try.
The four weeks
Week 1
Unlearn the fear
See where your fear of failing comes from, and count what it has cost you.
Week 2
The method
Turn one thing you've been putting off into a small, cheap experiment.
Week 3
Try it live
Run the experiment for real, then debrief it with your group.
Week 4
Carry it forward
Build a habit that lasts past the course, and graduate.
Certified Failure
What you leave with
Everyone who finishes the four weeks graduates as a Certified Failure. It's a badge of honor for failing on purpose, in front of other people.
A new story about failure
What you got wrong, what it taught you, and a different way to see the next one coming.
A habit that lasts
Small ways to keep trying long after the four weeks are over.
Your group
People who watched you try, and who'll keep cheering when you get it wrong again.
What people say
From people who came to our in-person sessions.
“I learned that failure can actually be a way to achieve, as well as to grow in ways I didn't know you could… here you're allowed to make mistakes and to live with those mistakes.”
“It really teaches you how to ask good questions, to not be afraid to ask those questions and always to ask ‘why’. It helps you embrace failure in a really advanced and exciting way.”
“It taught me how important it is to not feel bad about failing, but instead to be proud that you failed.”
For you, your team, your school
For you
Join an open cohort with people from anywhere. No experience needed, just a willingness to try.
The courseFor your team
A private cohort for one team, and certified coaches of your own so it keeps going.
For teamsFor your school
Failure literacy for students, taught by your own teachers once they're certified.
For schoolsQuestions
How much time does it take?
The lessons are self-paced, so you fit them around your week. The live session is about 75 minutes, once a week, for four weeks.
What if I don't do the homework?
Come to the session anyway. Nobody gets checked or called out. If you didn't do it, we talk about what got in the way, and that's often the most useful conversation of the week.
Is it all online?
Yes. The lessons and the weekly sessions are both online, so you can join from anywhere. Sessions are on Thursdays at 8:00pm Manila time, from 12 November to 10 December.
That's where you are.
Do I need any experience?
None. The only thing you need is a willingness to try something you might get wrong.
What does it cost?
The founding cohort is free. Later cohorts will be paid, and the price will be on this site when they open.
Why is the founding cohort free?
Because we want to get it right. In return we ask for honest feedback, and a short survey at the start and the end.
What is a Certified Failure?
It's what you become when you finish the four weeks. There's no exam. You earn it by trying things in front of other people. More about certification.
Ready to get it wrong on purpose?
Tell us a little about yourself and what you've been putting off. It starts Thursday 12 November and finishes on 10 December, well before Christmas.
Free. Up to 15 people. Or email hello@thefailureschool.com.