'We Need To Accept Failure To Progress'

Samuel West, founder of Sweden’s Museum of Failure, on highlighting the ideas that didn’t make it and the merits of seeing the big boys fail

- Ruchika Shah

Failure of any kind is unpleasant, and it is human tendency to want to sweep it under the rug. However, Samuel West, director, Museum of Failure, Sweden, aims to change our perception of failure from that of shame to acceptability, compassion and respect.

The Museum of Failure, which opened in June 2017, is a collection of unsuccessful innovations on display in Helsingborg, Sweden, and California, US while the touring version is currently scheduled to go to Toronto, Vancouver, Munich and Shanghai. Excerpts from an interview:

Q How did the idea of the museum come about?

My PhD research focussed on creating organisational cultures conducive to innovation—a safe environment where people can feel comfortable to explore and experiment. Even in highly innovative environments, people have a deep-rooted fear of failure, both at individual and organisational levels. I have been thinking about ‘failure’ for a long time. I just hadn’t found the right way to communicate it.