Acclaim for success in business is deserved, but should failure also be rejoiced?
While previously employed as a software engineer at one of the world's chief music streamers, Vithushan Namasivayasivam made a serious blunder.
Mr Namasivayasivam recently revealed his mistake to the attendees of an event taking place in Toronto, Canada, despite the fact that it was an error that one would not usually feel comfortable sharing with so many strangers.
Seven years ago, when he was trying to make sure that 10-second, looping videos associated with bands and solo artists would play properly on people's cell phones, he made a mistake.
When the videos were being tested in Canada.
They were only meant to be streamed to users' handsets once, but because of Mr Namasivayasivam's mistake, they were incessantly re-sent to people's phones every 10 seconds.
For individuals who are not hooked up to a wi-fi network, their data was quickly depleted.
Only when Mr Namasivayasivam read the comments on an online forum did he realise the mistake had been made, with one individual claiming that it had "destroyed their data".
Another person expressed their strong disapproval, saying, "I really cannot stand this feature. Whoever designed it deserves to face serious repercussions."
Although many of us might have wished to keep such recollections concealed, Mr Namasivayasivam disclosed everything into a microphone while standing on a platform in the presence of a crowd of unfamiliar people.
The assembly was a component of an international initiative, with more than 250 cities now engaging in public displays to illustrate how entrepreneurs and other corporate heads, chiefly in the technology sector, can make mistakes and then bounce back from them.
It is thought to be therapeutic to discuss such topics, and all of those present can gain insight by observing what has happened wrong and inquiring further.
Mr Namasivayasivam shared with the people of Toronto that it was at the point that he realized he had made a mistake that his emotions of self-doubt, stress, and embarrassment inundated him.
He commented to the BBC that it was fulfilling to be one of three participants in the occasion, emphasizing his own experience of awkwardness, and further how you can recover from such mortification.
Mr Namasivayasivam is the founder and CEO of Skillify, a company based in Toronto that offers software coding lessons.
A gentleman by the name of Bill Murray, who is distinct from the renowned actor, is employed with Canadian software company Padiem. This organization produces software that assists other firms in managing time sheets and wages.
He was among those present to listen to Mr Namasivayasivam, and commented that the story had a particular relevance to him.
Mr Murray states that if a coder has never made any errors, they likely were not taking enough risks in their work.
Many people desire to conceal their moments of humiliation or lack of success, but when the presenters start by sharing their most trying times, it creates an atmosphere that allows all those present to relax and become more familiar with each other. Nobody knows, and it's not even a valid question," he says.
Mr Murray insists that tech entrepreneurs should not just observe their successes. He comments, "When trying to identify the key to someone's success, it's similar to asking what lottery numbers they used to win. It's an impossible question to answer."
I believe that there is a greater amount of knowledge to be gained from discussing our failures than from simply studying successful people.
Marsha Druker, organising the recurring failure talks in Toronto, states that she seeks speakers who are willing to not only be candid about their professional failure experience.
She likewise wishes them to "inform their audience of what they have figured out from that error, now that they have had the chance to contemplate it".
She states that a frequent element of tech business owners' experiences when they experience set-backs is "demonstrating persistence and emerging victorious afterward, and understanding that failure does not have to be a topic that is not brought up publicly".
Diving into the sometimes taboo subject is why the concept of commemorating defeat first emerged in Mexico City back in 2012, claims Carlos Zimbrón, the Mexican tech businessperson who originally conceived of the evenings.
At a barbeque, Mr Zimbrón voiced his opinion that boring conferences with keynote speakers recounting their successes were commonplace, and it would be more interesting to hear the other side of the story.
Shortly after, he and his companions convened the inaugural failure discussion in the same backyard area.
As news of the Mexico City event reached people, entrepreneurs in 80 countries all over the world responded by launching their own similar gatherings. Every four weeks, they provide talks, followed by a time of questions and answers for each speaker.
Mr Zimbron claims that the talks, a number of which have been subsequently posted on YouTube, may be encouraging for individuals who may have gone through comparable difficulties.
He continues, "It's through this vulnerability, that entrepreneurs can understand each other's experiences and mistakes, and can create a connection."
This series is about understanding the effects of tech on the economy: New Tech Economy.
Leah Edwards is employed as both a director for the US investment fund Lighter Capital and a lecturer on leadership and innovation at University of California, Berkeley.
She says she appreciates that these public talks are making it normal to understand that business can be difficult, and it usually takes several attempts to find the appropriate combination of team members and market opportunity, as well as the right product or service.
Ms Edwards states that Silicon Valley has been lenient towards failing start-ups for a lengthy period of time, and cheerfully notes it is great to observe this attitude becoming more widespread.
She states that although not all business ventures of entrepreneurs are successful, they possess the tenacity to get back up and try again. The fact that this resilience is being noticed in other places and cultures makes her excited.
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