At this week’s Republikken Community Breakfast, we had our Morning Talk about failing.This time Shamiel, a seasoned entrepreneur (currently Ubuntu Vibe as well) with 20 years of experience, took center stage. His topic? Failure. Not just the “oops” kind but the spectacular, lawsuit-inducing, nearly-lost-it-all kind. And guess what? It was extremely inspiring talk.
Starting Small & Failing Big
Shamiel’s failing journey began with over-analysis paralysis—waiting for the “perfect” moment. Spoiler: There isn’t one. “Start small, but start,” he emphasized. Because failure doesn’t come from trying too soon—it comes from not trying at all.
The Art of Failing & Learning
Shamiel broke it down into five lessons:
1. Start now. Overthinking kills more dreams than failure ever will.
2. Know your numbers. Track everything—because if you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
3. Value over profit. If your customers don’t value what you offer, your profits won’t last.
4. Build a support network. Lone wolves don’t survive in business. Find mentors and peers.
5. Resilience is everything. Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the path to success.
Then came the real talk. Shamiel shared his biggest failure—getting sued. A simple misunderstanding, a lack of contracts, and suddenly, he and his business partner were in court. They won the case, but lost time, money, and sanity. The lesson? Contracts aren’t just paperwork—they’re peace of mind.
Morning Talk Members Share Their Own Entrepreneur Failures
Inspired by Shamiel’s honesty, members opened up during our Morning Talk about their own business failures. One lost thousands trusting the wrong partner. Another nearly destroyed a project by waiting too long to book accommodations. A freelancer learned the hard way that payment terms matter—seven days, not thirty!
The key takeaway? We all fail. But the smartest entrepreneurs fail forward.
As the session wrapped up, one member summed it up perfectly:
“It’s not what happens, it’s how you handle it.”
So next time you fail, don’t panic—pivot.
What’s your biggest failure?