Fail Fast, Fail Cheap.
  Errors Make Us Better.




Arik Hanson // @arikhanson
ACH Communications
Tony Saucier // @tsauce // OLSON
What Do We Mean By
Fail Fast, Fail Cheap?
 There are goals in doing the digital - business,
  personal or community.

 Since there are no experts, we all learn by
  doing, so improvement becomes the metric.

 But big budgets, elaborate plans and
  committees will slow that down.

 So we improve most effectively when we
  think, execute quickly and fail. Then adjust.
All Rainbow. All the time.
Making it great. Or mediocre.
A 57-minute investment.
Party like
you’re Canadian.
It Makes You a Real Mom.
Case Study #1:
Asus Blogger Firestorm
First: A competition.
Who won?
Who should have won.
Explanation?
  Apology?
• "Certain aspects of the
  voting meant that we felt it
  was no longer not a level
  playing field for all of the
  bloggers. Some might argue
  that people were simply
  using the power of the
  internet. We felt that the
  fairest way would be to ask
  each blogger to vote for
  their favourite."
Ladies and gentleman, your
ASUS brand champions!
   “What a crock of sh&t”
   “Disgusting favoritism”
   “Feeling of being cheated”
   “I feel like a fool for trusting you.”
   “Purely because of your incompetence.”
   “Thanks for testing and ruining my faith
    in ASUS”
Did ASUS learn
                      from their fail?
• Who really owns your brand?
• Can you learn from your
  customers/champions?
• Do you trust your community?
• Do the facts outweigh perception?
• Does it matter?
• How could they have failed this faster?
Case Study #2:
The First Nation of Slurp
The Corner Store Elixir.
Immortalized by Pop Culture.
And now…Brain freeze.
•   In an ideal world, what is success?
•   So what’s missing?
•   Where is the Slurpee community?
•   What’s the net effect for this brand?
•   Can this ship be righted?
•   How could they have failed this cheaper?
A Couple Who Got It Right.
Kreg Jig.
HairHustler.
If you take away something:
 Great ideas will work even if you can only
  afford what’s in the couch cushions.

 Failing fast & cheap is not charting a path
  to success, it’s continuous course
  corrections.

 You’re chasing the journey, not the
  destination.

Fail Fast, Fail Cheap: How Errors Make Us Better

  • 1.
    Fail Fast, FailCheap. Errors Make Us Better. Arik Hanson // @arikhanson ACH Communications Tony Saucier // @tsauce // OLSON
  • 2.
    What Do WeMean By Fail Fast, Fail Cheap?  There are goals in doing the digital - business, personal or community.  Since there are no experts, we all learn by doing, so improvement becomes the metric.  But big budgets, elaborate plans and committees will slow that down.  So we improve most effectively when we think, execute quickly and fail. Then adjust.
  • 3.
  • 4.
    Making it great.Or mediocre.
  • 5.
  • 6.
  • 7.
    It Makes Youa Real Mom.
  • 8.
    Case Study #1: AsusBlogger Firestorm
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Explanation? Apology? •"Certain aspects of the voting meant that we felt it was no longer not a level playing field for all of the bloggers. Some might argue that people were simply using the power of the internet. We felt that the fairest way would be to ask each blogger to vote for their favourite."
  • 13.
    Ladies and gentleman,your ASUS brand champions!  “What a crock of sh&t”  “Disgusting favoritism”  “Feeling of being cheated”  “I feel like a fool for trusting you.”  “Purely because of your incompetence.”  “Thanks for testing and ruining my faith in ASUS”
  • 14.
    Did ASUS learn from their fail? • Who really owns your brand? • Can you learn from your customers/champions? • Do you trust your community? • Do the facts outweigh perception? • Does it matter? • How could they have failed this faster?
  • 15.
    Case Study #2: TheFirst Nation of Slurp
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    In an ideal world, what is success? • So what’s missing? • Where is the Slurpee community? • What’s the net effect for this brand? • Can this ship be righted? • How could they have failed this cheaper?
  • 20.
    A Couple WhoGot It Right.
  • 21.
  • 22.
  • 23.
    If you takeaway something:  Great ideas will work even if you can only afford what’s in the couch cushions.  Failing fast & cheap is not charting a path to success, it’s continuous course corrections.  You’re chasing the journey, not the destination.