When Things Don’t Work

It happens all the time. You try something. The thing fails.

And we know all of the pithy quotes about failure. Thomas Edison didn’t fail. He found 10,000 ways it didn’t work. Try and try again.

But don’t keep trying without asking the right question.

What kind of error am I making?
Is this an error of concept, or an error of operation?

Error of Concept

My hypothesis is wrong.
This puzzle is completely unsolvable.
This business idea will never produce a profit.
The plot for this novel will never have a satisfactory resolution.
Concept errors happen. Sometimes after much testing, we realize that the hypothesis is all wrong. We will never build a functioning train bridge out of popsicle sticks.

Fortunately, concept errors are less frequent than we might otherwise suspect.

Error of operation

Operational error is commonplace. There is something wrong with the process. Edison stuck with the light bulb concept because he knew the concept was good. (Whether it was his concept or not, we’ll never really know.) It’s okay to experiment. It’s okay to fail 10,000 times.

The concept is correct.
We will get it right eventually.
The imperative is in the operation.

Be patient with the process.

One of my favorite guitar duos have the words “Trust the Process” posted in their home studio.

They know the concept is good. It’s a matter of finding the operational path to success.

Once you know your concept is correct, trust the process. You will find the process to make it work.