Topic Hub
Failure
Failure is data, not destiny — every setback carries information that success never could, if you're willing to look at it honestly.
Recent Articles on Failure
More Productive. Less Engaged. Trouble for teams.
Activity is up, engagement is collapsing — that's the Output Paradox. AI makes the easy work easier so people switch off, and your dashboards hide it. Fix the incentives, or apathy wins.
Your Brain on ChatGPT Is Worse Than You Think
AI didn't ruin documents—bad incentives did. Organizations pressure people to produce faster, so they use AI to skip the thinking. We're losing the skill of actually sitting with information and…
How I stopped being an asshole in conversations
I used to argue to win and catch people out. How 'give it five minutes,' Chesterton's fence and asking 'why am I talking?' moved me from winning arguments to actually understanding people.
Advice from 40 year old me to 20 year old me
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since that article was published and took on a life of its own.
How I Stopped Being an Asshole Entrepreneur
I used to be an asshole. Not in the self-deprecating, funny, quirky sort of way.
From a $50m listed entity to $10m and going bust
Shawn Johal worked in his wife’s growing family business until the tides turned and the listed company went bust.
Scaling When The Money Stops Coming
Raising funding feels like a victory but can often be the kiss of death for a startup.
The $6400 Decision That Saved This Startup
The Daily Maverick is an important business.
Here’s Why You Feel Like A Failure Most Of The Time
If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will always feel like a failure. If you judge your success by someone else’s definition you will always feel like a failure.
The Business Builder’s Toolkit - My New Book
When chaos takes over the world there are three ways that I have seen people respond:
Book a Keynote on Failure
Virtual delivery worldwide. Customized for your audience.