WebProNews

Although we all do it, “guessing and checking” can sometimes make a person look like a monkey.  And yet, if I remember correctly, the guess and check method is actually identified in some textbooks as a valid approach to problem-solving.  Also, the guys at Google are generally fine with the idea.

“At Google, we really focus on failing wisely,” said Matt Glotzbach, Google Enterprise’s product management director, at the Interop New York conference.  “There is no penalty for failure.  In fact we encourage it because if you’re not failing it means you’re probably not trying.”

This philosophy puts Google on the same path as Benjamin Franklin (“I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong”) and Henry Ford (“Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently”).  Those two men certainly did all right, and this strategy seems to be working for Google, as well.

A glance at the corporation’s $209 billion market cap will confirm that.  Or you can look at the enthusiasm with which most of Google’s product releases and updates are greeted; except for Apple, no other tech companies seem to enjoy quite the same reputation.

Huh.  Maybe we all should hope for failure once in a while.