EdBlogs

Failure Conference!! Sounds Interesting!! You Heard Right!! Read This!

Failure Conference!! Sounds Interesting!! You Heard Right!! Read This!

Dear Friends,

Occasionally, we hear about Success Meets! Whether it’s an organization or an individual, success is generally celebrated. My son or daughter got a UPSC Civils Rank, scored 99 percentile in JEE, ranked in the top 100 in NEET, cleared CA in the first attempt, the startup received seed funding, the organization completed one year, received an award, our movie ran for 100 days, and so on!

Have you ever celebrated failure? Have you ever attended a party hosted by parents because their son/daughter tried UPSC but failed? Have you been to a party hosted by parents because their son/daughter couldn’t get a JEE rank despite training from an early age? Rare, right? I admit that even I have never celebrated or attended such a failure meet, though I have personally failed multiple times and experienced the pain.

However, one of my admirers, Harish Hande, is organizing one such mega event (6-7 Feb 2024, IIM Bangalore)! It is all about organizational failure, and the name of the conference is “Impact Failure 2025 Experiences (impactfailure.org).” They are not asking you to submit your pitch deck or success mantra. Instead, they are asking you to submit your failure story: “Share your failure story with us and contribute to a culture that can admit and learn from what did not work, one where failing and learning are shared and celebrated.”

Harish has been doing this for the last three events! His goal is, “Let us humanize it...so many youngsters can take the right path going forward” (LinkedIn: harish-hande-67b226).

You all should know about Harish. I met him only once at IIT Madras, probably 15 years back. However, his story inspired me a lot. If you read his LinkedIn, it is an interesting read. He passed out of IIT KGP (1986–90) BTech. He writes, “This is what my certificate says,” “Grade: With great difficulty.” Then, like a typical confused person, I spent somewhere between 3 to 5 years getting a Master’s and PhD. I surely recommend it if you think you have some years to decide what not to do.”

This shows his humility. In fact, Harish did his master’s degree and later a PhD in energy engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2011 (Asia’s Nobel Prize) for "his pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor through his social enterprise SELCO India.” Hande co-founded SELCO India in 1995, a social enterprise, to eradicate poverty by promoting sustainable technologies in rural India.

Despite his tall success, he writes of himself as: Employee, SELCO – Not sure about what I do. Worked with creative people worldwide (mostly those who creatively created a career out of 'solving' poverty).

At the age of 25, I was a little fearful of sharing my failures, fearing it would ruin my career and life. At the age of 50, with a short stint left, there is nothing to lose. Today, I am happy to celebrate mentally and internally to start with! Thanks to Harish, we can glorify them too!

Are you ready to celebrate your failure?

Ravi Saripalle


You may also like

  • mahanvitha singamsetty
    Published 16h

Sankranthi celebrated differently across various states in India.

Sankranthi, celebrated as the harvest festival in India, is observed with regional variations across states, reflecting their unique cultures and traditions. Here’s a state-wise overview:1.

  • madhavi mulaga
    Published 15h

How do different regions celebrate Sankranthi with unique activities like Bhogi, Kanuma, and Pongal?

Sankranthi is a festival celebrated in many states in many styles. For example, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , the first day of Pongal is celebrated as Bhogi, where people celebrate it as an account

  • bharadwaj Varma
    Published 2d

How can we celebrate Sankranthi in an eco-friendly way?

CELEBRATE SANKRANTHI IN AN ECO-FRIENDLY WAY INTRODUCTION:Sankranthi, celebrated across India, is not only a harvest festival but also a time to bring communities together to celebrate the fruits

  • Praveena
    Published 3d

How would you explain Sankranthi to someone from a different culture?

IntroductionImagine a festival where the skies come alive with colorful kites, communities gather to share delicious food, and homes are adorned with intricate designs made from rice flour. Sankranthi,

  • KARTHIK
    Published 2d

Write a review of your favorite movie that you watched on Sankranthi.

INTRODUCTION: Makar Sankranti is known by various names including Sankranthi or Peddha Panduga in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is observed with social festivities such as colorful decorations,

  • Swetha juttada
    Published 5d

What does Sankranthi mean to you personally?

Sankranthi:A Festival close to my heartIntroduction​​​​Sankranti, to me, is much more than just a festival, it is a time of pure joy, family bonds, and heartfelt traditions. It’s

  • K Sai Rohan
    Published 6d

What is the significance of Sankranthi, and why is it celebrated?

The Multifaceted Significance of Sankranti: A Celebration of Harvest, Sun, and CultureSankranti, celebrated across India and parts of South Asia under various regional names like Pongal, Makar

  • S210837 SINGARAPU PRAVALIKA
    Published 7d

"Sankranthi: Celebrating the Agrarian Roots of Indian Culture"

Introduction:Sankranthi, a vibrant and widely celebrated festival in India, holds deep cultural significance. It marks the transition of the Sun into Capricorn and is associated with harvest celebrations.

  • Prajnagayatri bhogapurapu
    Published 7d+

What are the Historical origins of Sankranthi?

The Historical Origins of Sankranthi: Introduction:𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪, also known as 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙞, is one of the

  • VishnuVarma
    Published 7d+

The Role of the Sun God in the Celebration of Sankranthi

Sankranthi is one of the most vibrant and significant festivals celebrated across India, marking the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makara Rashi). This celestial event heralds

  • Vijay ram Moka
    Published 7d+

How would you explain sankranthi to someone from a different culture?

SANKRANTHI IS AN DIFFERENT CULTURE:Sankranthi, also known as Makar Sankranti, is an Indian harvest festival celebrated in January, marking the transition of the sun into the zodiac sign Capricorn (Makara).

  • Chinmai Velega
    Published 7d+

Historical origin of sankranthi

Sankranthi is also a harvest festival, celebrated to thank nature for its bounty and to mark the start of the agricultural season. It holds spiritual significance, as it is considered an auspicious time