Out-Fail Your Competitors: Why Failing Is a Good Thing

Failing is something many people see as a negative thing — and yes, it can be, if you let it swallow you up.

Ever wonder why so many people are successful, or why there are so many businesses raking in big bucks? It seems like they’re just lucky, while we keep hitting roadblocks and failures. But I can tell you — that is not the case.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the topic of success and failure — and why it’s actually good to out-fail everyone else. So next time you fall short, you’ll know how to get back up. We’ll cover some stories, tips, tricks, and even sprinkle in a bit of philosophy.

Hope you enjoy!

Failure — Why Is It a Good Thing?

Let me ask you something first.

If there were no failure in the world, would there be any success?

No. Failure gives value to success. The same principle applies to other things too — like how death gives meaning to life, or how attack and defense need each other.

Now that we understand failure gives meaning to success, why don’t we apply that mindset when we do fail? Sure, in the moment it’s hard to overcome negative emotions — but that’s also part of what you need to conquer.

We’re always learning, day by day. Failure is just another teacher. You learn from it. That’s why failing is a good thing — and why you don’t need to be afraid of it.

Yes, you might fail 9 times out of 10 — but those failures build momentum, knowledge, and resilience. And let’s not forget the skills and experience. All of that adds up. Eventually, you might win 9 out of 10 times.

Even with this blog — NeoKalon — I’ve failed plenty. I didn’t know what I was doing at first. My first blog theme was garbage. I tried to post every day for consistency, but quickly realized I was lazy — just another thing to improve. But I kept trying, and it got better.

We’re all human. It’s in our nature to try, to risk, to fail, and to learn.

Story of Booking.com and Their Failing Strategy

One of the best real-world examples of using failure as a strategy is Booking.com.

Unlike most companies that avoid risk, Booking.com has built its success on embracing failure through experimentation. At any given time, they’re running over 1,000 A/B tests across their platform. Most of these tests fail. And they want that — because every failed test teaches them something valuable.

Their culture isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about learning what works by trying everything that doesn’t. If a new idea increases conversions by even 0.1%, that’s a win. If it fails? Great — they learned something they didn’t know before.

They have a motto internally that says something like: “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.”

By “out-failing” their competitors, they’ve created one of the most optimized and profitable travel platforms in the world. Not because they never mess up — but because they mess up more, learn faster, and adapt better.

Kaizen Philosophy and the Power of Failing

The Japanese philosophy of Kaizen is built around one simple idea: continuous improvement. It’s not about making giant leaps — it’s about making tiny, consistent changes every day. One step at a time, one fix at a time.

But here’s the part most people forget: failure is part of Kaizen.

Kaizen doesn’t expect perfection. In fact, it assumes things will go wrong. That’s the whole point. When something breaks, when a process fails, when a decision doesn’t go as planned — Kaizen says: Good. Now improve it.

In this mindset, failure becomes feedback.

Let’s say you try to post on your blog every day and miss four days in a row. The average person might feel like a failure and quit. But a Kaizen thinker looks at those four missed days and asks:

• Why did I miss them?
• What was happening in my routine?
• What tiny change can I make so it’s easier to show up tomorrow?

Instead of beating yourself up, you adjust. You adapt. That’s Kaizen.

Real-life example: Toyota’s Stop-the-Line culture

Toyota — where Kaizen was made famous — literally stops production on the factory line if an employee notices a problem. Stopping the line might seem like a failure. But Toyota sees it as a win: the problem gets fixed immediately, and the system improves right there on the spot.

No cover-ups. No pretending everything is fine. Fail fast, fix fast, improve continuously.

Final Thoughts: Fail Boldly, Improve Daily

Failure isn’t your enemy — it’s your greatest ally. Every time you fall short, you’re gathering data, gaining perspective, and building the muscle that success requires. The people and companies we admire most didn’t avoid failure — they out-failed everyone else and used it to their advantage.

From Booking.com’s fearless experimentation to Toyota’s Kaizen-driven factory floors, one thing becomes clear: those who embrace failure grow faster, adapt smarter, and win more often.

Here’s what you can start doing today:

Let’s face it — failing sucks. It stings, it bruises your ego, and it can feel like you’re wasting your time. But here’s the truth: if you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.

Behind every “overnight success” are years of invisible mistakes, lessons, pivots, and quiet moments of doubt. What separates the winners from everyone else isn’t luck — it’s their willingness to fail more, learn faster, and keep moving.

✅ Reframe failure — Stop seeing it as a setback and start treating it like feedback. Ask: What did I just learn?

✅ Start small, improve often — Use the Kaizen approach. Make one tiny improvement today. Then another tomorrow. Momentum matters.

✅ Track your failures — Create a “failure log” where you record what didn’t work and what you learned from it. Patterns will emerge.

✅ Experiment more — Whether it’s in business, health, or habits — test ideas regularly. The more you test, the faster you grow.

✅ Detach from ego — Failing doesn’t mean you are a failure. It means you’re in the arena, doing the work.

This isn’t just about winning. It’s about lasting. About building the kind of resilience that makes you unstoppable. If you can fail and keep going — no matter what — you’ve already beaten 90% of the world.

So go out there and fail. Fail better. Fail forward.
Then get up, adjust, and come back sharper.

Because in the long game of life and business, the one who out-fails, outgrows.
And that person could be you — if you keep going.