I'm not just referring to the song by Savage Garden; I'm also alluding to an important question people don't ask enough:
"Are you failing enough?"
I firmly believe most people don't.
What does it mean to fail? And what is enough? Failing is more than just getting an "F" on a test or in a course - that's a lack of effort - it's about striving toward a goal with tremendous passion... and not achieving it. It's about developing ideas that you are excited about and moving forth with determination... and having it snatched away or blowing up in your face.
Are you failing enough?
Thomas J. Watson, founder of IBM, once said of the formula for success:
"It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You're thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all... you can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you'll find success. On the far side."Samuel Beckettt said,
"All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."Well, I experienced quite a few failures - this is a story of one of my more-elaborate ones.
- The Idea -
The idea began long ago on some random afternoon in some random place in South Korea, but it was simple:
Create my own business.
"Doing what?," however, was the question I struggled to answer. I used a few techniques to filter my scattered thoughts into a few specific and niche ideas, but ultimately left them on the back burner as I contemplated my next move worldwide.
By October 2010, as my job search for financial companies fizzled, my entrepreneurship ideas crept up once again with renewed fervor, and I researched the infinite possibilities intensely. I stumbled upon a blogger who offered valuable advice, and it soon motivated me to write and sell an e-book.
- The Process -
I began in late-December 2009.
First, I acquired the webpage - I went with a company that offered free credits on Google Adwords as well as Yahoo's pay-per-click advertisements - and deliberated on the name; ultimately, inspired by Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow," (seriously) I set my website as www.pushthestart.com (Link), and purchased an easy-to-use and sales-type platform, Flexsqueeze.
The rest of the plan was not as difficult, but infinitely more tedious.
1. Create a landing page that discussed the product, what it did, what was included, and its advantages over other products.I sought to test the viability of my product and to decide whether-or-not I should even create it. Instead of wasting months and months on a website and product, I hoped to get positive or negatives signals from the onset.
2. Create a cover page for the e-book to be displayed throughout the landing page.
3. Add a Checkout Page with two different product options.
4. Add a Product Unavailable page because I didn't write the e-book yet
[Note: I would not acquire any billing information from the potential customer. That would be illegal.]
- Learning To Fly -
Although I had no experience whatsoever in website design, I managed to parlay my only advantage - a ridiculous amount of zeal - to carry me through.
No one forced me to make a website. No one even told me try it - quite the contrary, to be honest. But once I started, it was easy to sacrifice the numerous hours everyday to write. I eagerly dug online to find solutions to my questions or hacks to enhance my website. It posed an new challenge; but something about it seemed strangely easy.... if only I shared a similar passion when writing my college entrance essays....
[Side Note: The more I see and read, the more I realize that one's tenacity represents an enormous determiner of success. How much time are we willing to spend? How much effort? Is what you're doing right now bringing you closer to your dream?
In the weightlifting community, we have a funny saying: "Somewhere out there, a little Chinese girl is warming up with your max."
It just puts things in perspective, I guess.]
- Pushing The Start Button -
I set my deadline at February 1 and completed the website one day early. I then installed Google Analytics to observe website details - time on page, visitors per page, clicks, etc - and arranged the keywords and strategies for Google Adwords.
The main goal of the trial was to reach a conversion rate of at least one-percent - that means one-percent of all visitors via Google Adwords proceeded through the Checkout Page and into the Product Unavailable Page (a "conversion"). I estimated a week-long test of the website would cost approximately fifty dollars - peanuts compared to the potential profits.
If I reached or even surpassed my target, the website would earn at least US$1500 a month - not bad for sitting on my ass and checking Paypal once a month. My mind raced with dreams of traveling throughout Southeast Asia, supported by this automated income and teaching English for extra pocket change.
On February 4th, after three days of testing, I received this email from Google:
Dear AdWords Advertiser,According to the Adwords Team, because I made an "egregious violation," they chose to enforce a permanent ban without warning.
It has come to our attention that your Google AdWords account does not comply with our Terms of Service and Advertising Policies. As a result, your account and any related accounts have been suspended, and your ads will no longer run on Google. Please be aware that you are prohibited from possessing or creating any other AdWords accounts, both now and in the future.
And just like that, my adventure completely backfired and I scrambled to create new goals for the future.
- How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Ban -
Hard to imagine that happened only eight months ago.
I'm still confused why Google banned my account, but that failure forced me to intensely confront my life; immediately after, I realized wanted to stop teaching English. I planned to return to America and searched for finance jobs in Los Angeles - just for shits and giggles, I also applied in other English-speaking countries.
That's when - and why - I found an internship in Sydney. And that saga ultimately became my greatest failure, thus far.
Although my website bears no resemblance to its past content, hopefully it will be useful when I pursue my next goal. Until then, keep on failing.
Success awaits.
