Failure Stories: Lessons From What Didn’t Work

Entrepreneurship is full of failure. Most people just don’t talk about it. This event is about changing that. Instead of stage talks or presentations, we’ll break into **small groups of 6–8 people** and over some drinks share real stories of things that didn’t go to plan; bad ideas, failed launches, wrong turns, expensive lessons, and the moments where things felt like they were falling apart. *We're grateful to Udara Fernando for generously hosting us in his space. Udara is a Melbourne-based entrepreneur behind a portfolio of businesses — Tamed Marketing (a marketing agency), Tactik (a web design agency), and Locionne (a six-figure ecommerce brand). He's passionate about building a place where people can come together to collaborate and learn, which is exactly what makes his space such a fitting home for this. Check him out:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/udara-fernando/ **5:00pm Drop In for a Drink** **7:00pm Hard Stop** *(We'll head for a drink at Valhalla Bar next door if conversations are flowing)* Because failure is normal. And the faster we normalise it, the faster we learn. 💬 **How the night works** After a short introduction, we’ll split into small groups. Each person who wants to participate will have the opportunity to share a short story about a failure or setback they’ve experienced while building something. For example: • A business idea that completely flopped • A launch that went sideways • A decision that turned out to be wildly wrong • A moment where you realised something wasn’t working After each story, the group can ask questions, reflect, or share similar experiences. You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to. Listening is valuable too. 🤝 **Creating a safe space** For this event to work, we need to create a space where people feel comfortable being honest. That means: • No judgement • No interrupting **• No unsolicited advice unless someone asks for it** • What’s shared in the group stays in the group The goal isn’t to impress anyone. It’s to learn from each other’s experiences. 👀 **Who this is for** • Entrepreneurs and Doers • People thinking about starting something but not sure how • Builders who know the real journey isn’t a straight line If you’ve ever had something fail and learned from it, you’ll fit right in. Most successful entrepreneurs have a long list of things that didn’t work. Those stories are usually the most valuable ones to share.