Don't fear failure, unlock your inner creativity, and say yes | Don Dodge | TEDxAthens

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. What would you try to do if failure had no negative consequence? Fear of failure suppresses our creativity. See how overcoming early failure lead to creative breakthrough success. Say YES to every request and opportunity.
Don Dodge is a Developer Advocate at Google helping developers build new applications on Google platforms and technologies. Don is also an advisor to Google Ventures providing advice on venture capital investments. Prior to joining Google Don was a startup evangelist at Microsoft. Don is also a veteran of five start-ups including Forte Software, AltaVista, Napster, Bowstreet, and Groove Networks.
Don has been in the software business for more than 25 years. He started his software career with Digital Equipment, aka DEC, in the database group. He was part of the leadership team of five software start-ups. Forte Software was the first multiplatform object oriented development environment. AltaVista was the first search engine on the web. Napster was the first P2P file sharing network. Bowstreet was the first web services development environment. Groove Networks was the first secure P2P collaboration platform.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@LessonsInLife]

Yes, awesome video. "When we hear about extremely successful people, we mostly hear about their great accomplishments not about the many mistakes they made and the failures they experienced along the way. In fact, the most successful people throughout history are also those who have had the most failures." Thank for share

[@tonyjuan1726]

instaBlaster...

[@SubhashChandra-jl2gw]

I agree ,failure teaches.

[@haSHAH1]

Achieving 60 percent of the impossible is better than 100 percent of the ordinary! 👍♥️

[@mrbennett]

Summary: Don't be afraid to say yes to opportunities cos you think you might fail. Allow yourself attempt things and make mistakes cos that's how you learn and grow. And when you have made one mistake, don't make it a second time. Make a different mistake at every attempt cos that is how you learn something new and avoid frustration.

[@mumbaiuser1]

one of the best talks I listen to after every few days

[@aprillinder1977]

I am way behind on finding this, but I found it when I truly need it. I think that's what matters. Great inspiration. Great words from a great man. Thanks for sharing.

[@mobilityproject3485]

Society does not tolerate mistakes. Junior High and high school is like the bank that said "failure is not an option". If you don't achieve near perfection, you cannot enter college or vocational school. And then, as you have nothing to testify to your talent, you / your company will be shunned by all who give contracts. And then you will not shield yourself from reality, dystopia, and the winds will topple you over with great ease as you realize your peasant state for life. A state of perpetual misery, with no shield from reality/dystopia (They are the same, look at the calender. It's not July 20th 1951).

[@jelyz123]

one of the best talks I've seen in a while, he's a great speaker! Yay Don Dodge, I can see how he got into Google.

[@namitagupta8241]

Brilliant, so many lessons to take away. Thank you.

[@yifeng007]

He is a very good Speaker. He made the stories easy to understand. I m sure he is a successful man in a high rank in his company,

[@vijayarya9528]

Thank you all very much

[@loslucky]

This Ted Talk deserves millions of hits. Its one of the best!!! The beginning was slow but it picked up. Great Talk Don. Thank you.

[@saranbaker]

Great point. Most of us work in environments where failures equals job loss and that fear causes us NOT to set big goals and NOT to learn from our failures with a project or activity.

[@lugie69]

god i keep watching all these videos expecting them to change my life for the better and give me this big emotional realization but they never do haha

[@trevorlewan3456]

Saaaame!

[@nailessentialsph958]

@@trevorlewan3456 because, you need to step into action.

[@DrewJmsn]

They won't change your life. They cannot. But taken in the right spirit, they can inspire and guide YOU to change your life!

[@ambalalgurjar62]

Best of the best.

[@user-tm3uy9vl5p]

I realy fell in love with this amazing man. His ideas're so helpful) Thx😊

[@Rina.J89]

Wow I’ve heard lots of ted talks and I This is one of the best. He transformed a cliche topic into a captivating talk 👍🏼👍🏼

[@jhansirani6283]

A really great video!!

[@haSHAH1]

Amazing place!

[@HairGlitter]

Great perspective!

[@NinaNaculangga]

Thanks for sharing ❤🙏

[@satishtiwary3446]

superb!!

[@anandateertha7865]

Extraordinary speech .. thanks !!

[@victorochoa3662]

Failure is unnatural, it mocks life, mocks the ego.

[@melikarouhi6363]

This is one of the best ted talk ive seen❤

[@lefenec]

the only moment where he adresses the notion of fear is a quote from Churchill, 6:15

[@michelpinto4165]

Amazing video, thank you

[@saurabhniley5441]

It was a great presentation sir.

[@OG_OJ]

only 12k views? this is one of the best ted talks ive seen

[@yifeng007]

Agreed

[@valeriehartman3705]

Excellent video. It's helping me a lot.

[@doreendsouza8862]

I liked the video ..amazing. Accept the failures..but youbwilk keep going...

[@NinaNaculangga]

I started my Twitter account yesterday I posted some things specifically and it interest me a lot. Thanks for Google.

[@haSHAH1]

Yes

[@tiffanyjohnson172]

Dream while your awake 🙏 Say yes

[@talkindurinthemovie]

I remember when Napster came out my dad was up for like 3 days downloading music.

[@64Magick]

r u sure it wasn't porn..........jus' sayin ;-) Napster had so many ILLEGAL & COOL movies, music, software, hackware and other forbidden shit, it was frickin awesome!!

[@ahmatsouleymanebarka6299]

very helful video

[@sadafiqbal7692]

U are amazing 👏 💖

[@haSHAH1]

💯

[@PlatinumDagger]

Say yes with caution. You aren't a "yes" Man and you are not a people pleaser and not all opportunities are good opportunities. Remember to set boundaries with that "yes".

[@MrMoodyKSA]

Man I wish if my parents chose to pick a first name for me that rhymes perfectly with our last name ;(

[@gafrmor7758]

Moiré

[@forbbidenname18]

I thought he gonna teach us how...... Amazing story but I still scare of failure.

[@lechsiz1642]

Most of the companies following the practice of making small improvements often (called 'kaizen') are still in business....like Honda.

[@haSHAH1]

"Don't make the same mistake!"

[@u2berealfan]

13:08 😊

[@spartan187]

The are 1000’s of startup unable to do anything lack of funding . You fund many startups will do wonders

[@edgard007]

!

[@BeeSweet16]

Goddammit, now I'm wondering if I am failing enough to be successful....smh

[@user-vp5iy8ec9q]

are google products upgrades are usually 10 times better? please remember easily forget and pushed aside Tesla from a small county. children need to say ''no'' by many about age 2 child psychologists for healthy development, it depends on what contexts right?

[@johnanderson3700]

If you don’t fail you don’t learn

[@sheen0212]

Failure doesn’t exist

[@melrose3611]

Napster walked so iTunes could run

[@petergianf]

He kind of sounds like Trump at times: “we were the best search engine in the world [...] we literally changed the world [...] he was the greatest hitter of all times. The greatest. He achieved something that nobody ever did. [...] he was the greatest inventor of all time.” Etc. I wish he were a little more humble...

[@cutechiangels]

Saying no, as a toddler, (between 2-6 yrs old) is a modern time behaviour. From around the 70ies-80ies, this behavior became more predominant. And very much put into the foreground, especially amoungst pediatric psychologists. It was said to be an important step stone in child development. I'm not sure... Children, before, didn't grow up the same way. And, I also noticed that in non westernised countries toddlers don't have that need to say no to everything and everybody. So, it's all about the overstimulation. It's not a stepstone of development it's more a mechanism of defense! Kids are way overstimulated in western societies. And adolescents as well as adults too which often causes a burnout syndrome. Too many high demands lead to overstimulation and then exhaustion. Those who suffer that have to put their foot down, and say no! Did anybody ever think about this??

[@stormangelus6638]

I'm sorry, but this TED talk was useless to me because I cannot accept the validity of overcoming the fear of failure from someone whose life was cushy. I do not say this man cannot experience it, but I cannot relate to someone who works currently at Google, used to work at Microsoft, and helped invent a process with Alta Vista. You give me someone who came from NOTHING, not being able to get a job, no money, no privilege in their background with the loving parents and 2.5 kids with the nice house and I might find it a bit more believable. This may be talking about overcoming the fear of failure, but it's on a corporate level. The individual that is stuck in a dead-end job and cannot move forward with education or situation due to financial or responsibility-related reasons is a much different story than someone who had successful careers at three of the most prestigious companies to work with. I hope others can be enlightened by him, but for now, my path is darkened on his discussion.

[@mr4rn]

Storm Angelus when tour read

[@PeteS_1994]

Look for rag to riches stories then

[@LandesHector]

Failure isn't an option except for Google+ lol

[@spoddie]

Sounds like he's chewing gum in my ear

[@weirdo66636]

spoddie that was unnecessary

[@sukumard4537]

This comment shows your sensibility.. glad that i see this comment..

[@danf4447]

its like if you to gobbledy tech speak word salad and jammed it all in one speech you would have this. "amazing people... amazing company...amazing opportunities...revolutionary...moon shot. ..blah blah blah. you know who doesnt have to overhype their work? ..people actually going to the moon and beyond... you never hear them say "its amazing people amazing culture...we areamazing... we are doing a moon shot. " that is self evident... this is self congratulatory pablum.

[@catm2326]

i just cant watch cause i cant get past his mouth noises haha

[@kimberly1593]

This cracked me up!

[@Johniwhite]

Jesus. What the hell was this about? Worst TED talk I've ever watched. It seemed like a completely random assortment of thoughts and life experiences. 'Pattern Matching'? People at Alta Vista hired to look at porn? Napster? Er...

[@danf4447]

this jerkwater must hold the record for saying "amaxing" more times in one talk than anyone. 25 at current count. and you know what? when you say everything is amazing...nothing is amazing.