#127 - The Power of Failure with Kevin Kelly, Publisher and Founding Editor of Wired

#127 - The Power of Failure with Kevin Kelly, Publisher and Founding Editor of Wired

Author: User Interviews May 24, 2023 Duration: 45:22
“There’s a certain amount of forgetting that we need to do in order to learn something new.”

– Kevin Kelly, Founding Editor of Wired magazine


Whether you are designing a research project, prototyping a product, or carving out your career path, unlearning plays an important role in learning new things. But how do we embrace them in a practical way that leads to viable success?

For Kevin Kelly, Publisher and Founding Editor of Wired, leaning on failure is a crucial aspect of the creative writing process—and the motions of life in general. From giving advice on embracing mistakes to finding true joy and fulfillment, Kevin Kelly shares a raw perspective on applying important life lessons to both work and life.

In this episode we discuss:

  • Understanding “known failures” and “unknown failures”
  • Forgetting and unlearning your bias. 
  • Prototyping and experimentation in research and in life
  • Career advice, tips, and hacks

Highlights:

[00:01:51] Navigating failure: tractable vs. intractable failures

[00:05:37] Understanding other people's beliefs and questioning our own

[00:12:25] The value of prototyping and experimentation in life and your career

[00:16:47] Redefining success and exploring unique opportunities

[00:22:15] Learning what to ignore and discarding unnecessary information

[00:33:44] Kevin's current project on a 100-year desirable future!

Sources mentioned in the episode:

About Our Guest

Kevin Kelly is an accomplished author, speaker, and “evergreen optimist,” known for his work on technology, innovation, and the future. As the founding executive editor of Wired, Kevin has been instrumental in shaping discussions around technology and its implications on society. He has authored several influential books, including "The Inevitable," which delves into the technological forces that will impact our future. Currently, Kevin is working on a project envisioning a desirable 100-year future.


Awkward Silences is a conversation about the human side of building things. Hosts Erin May and Carol Guest, both VPs at User Interviews, don't just talk about theory-they get into the messy, real-world practice of talking to users and making sense of what they say. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the craft of user research, featuring candid chats with the practitioners who do this work every day. You'll hear stories about navigating tricky interviews, the weight of interpreting qualitative data, and how genuine understanding directly shapes better products and smarter business decisions. This isn't a dry lecture; it's a geeky, relatable dive into the questions and quiet moments that define UX research. The Awkward Silences podcast lives in the intersection of technology and business, focusing on the people and processes that connect them. Listen for practical insights, empathetic strategies, and the occasional shared laugh about the inevitable fumbles that come with trying to understand anyone. It’s for anyone who believes that building effectively starts with listening well.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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