What do I actually get inside?

A small group of people building businesses that have not worked yet. You post what you tried, what broke, and what you do next. People who are three attempts ahead of you answer.

Who reads my application?

One person, the founder. Not a bot. You get a yes or a no by email within 24 hours.

Why would you say no to me?

Blank answers, people who are here to sell, and people who have never tried anything. Never because your failure is too small.

Yes. No paid tier, no course, no upsell.

Do I have to use my real name or show my face?

A first name or a nickname is enough. The only thing that has to be real is the number next to your name.

How much time does it take?

Five minutes on a bad day, an hour in the work room on a good one. The Thursday round table at 21:00 Lisbon is optional.

What happens when it finally works?

You post it in #wins, the group confirms, your count freezes and your role becomes Winner.

Discord server · Free · By application

Proven at failing. Certain of success.

For people who have failed, are certain they will make it, and share the failures on the way.

Apply to join See how it works

The count

Attempt0

Proven at failing.Certain of success.

The count

Everyone you look up to had a number first.

**5,126**prototypes that failed before the one that worked.James Dyson

**5,126**prototypes that failed before the one that worked.James Dyson

**$100M**of his own money burned on three failed launches. The fourth flew.Elon Musk

**$100M**of his own money burned on three failed launches. The fourth flew.Elon Musk

**800**boxes of cereal sold to keep Airbnb alive.Brian Chesky

**800**boxes of cereal sold to keep Airbnb alive.Brian Chesky

**$25**for his dog, to make rent. Then he wrote Rocky.Sylvester Stallone

**$25**for his dog, to make rent. Then he wrote Rocky.Sylvester Stallone

30people came to his first play. He kept staging it for six years.Tyler Perry

30people came to his first play. He kept staging it for six years.Tyler Perry

30publishers rejected Carrie before one said yes.Stephen King

30publishers rejected Carrie before one said yes.Stephen King

**100**investors said no to Canva before one said yes.Melanie Perkins

**100**investors said no to Canva before one said yes.Melanie Perkins

**$170M**written off on the Fire Phone. He kept shipping.Jeff Bezos

**$170M**written off on the Fire Phone. He kept shipping.Jeff Bezos

27publishers rejected his first book.Dr. Seuss

27publishers rejected his first book.Dr. Seuss

25publishers rejected The 4-Hour Workweek.Tim Ferriss

25publishers rejected The 4-Hour Workweek.Tim Ferriss

31publishers rejected his first novel.James Patterson

31publishers rejected his first novel.James Patterson

**14,481**shots missed, the most in NBA history.Kobe Bryant

**14,481**shots missed, the most in NBA history.Kobe Bryant

14agents said no, or nothing, to Twilight.Stephenie Meyer

14agents said no, or nothing, to Twilight.Stephenie Meyer

**316**losses, the most in baseball history. The award carries his name.Cy Young

**316**losses, the most in baseball history. The award carries his name.Cy Young

**250**copies she printed herself after the publishers said no.Beatrix Potter

**250**copies she printed herself after the publishers said no.Beatrix Potter

**25,000**copies sold of his first album. The label nearly dropped him.Bruce Springsteen

**25,000**copies sold of his first album. The label nearly dropped him.Bruce Springsteen

**217**investors said no to Starbucks. He kept asking.Howard Schultz

**217**investors said no to Starbucks. He kept asking.Howard Schultz

**300**bankers said no to Disneyland before one said yes.Walt Disney

**300**bankers said no to Disneyland before one said yes.Walt Disney

36publishers rejected her second book.Arianna Huffington

36publishers rejected her second book.Arianna Huffington

**9,000**shots missed in his career. His own count.Michael Jordan

**9,000**shots missed in his career. His own count.Michael Jordan

30jobs he applied for. All said no, including KFC.Jack Ma

30jobs he applied for. All said no, including KFC.Jack Ma

**1,300**pairs of shoes sold from the trunk of his car in year one.Phil Knight

**1,300**pairs of shoes sold from the trunk of his car in year one.Phil Knight

**$50M**the offer Blockbuster laughed at.Reed Hastings

**$50M**the offer Blockbuster laughed at.Reed Hastings

**600**rejection slips before his first story sold.Jack London

**600**rejection slips before his first story sold.Jack London

**198**players were picked before him in the draft.Tom Brady

**198**players were picked before him in the draft.Tom Brady

**1,330**strikeouts. Nobody remembers those.Babe Ruth

**1,330**strikeouts. Nobody remembers those.Babe Ruth

28publishers rejected A Time to Kill.John Grisham

28publishers rejected A Time to Kill.John Grisham

**251**interceptions thrown. He kept dropping back.Peyton Manning

**251**interceptions thrown. He kept dropping back.Peyton Manning

31penalties missed. He kept stepping up to take them.Lionel Messi

31penalties missed. He kept stepping up to take them.Lionel Messi

**200**rejections before anyone bought a story.Louis L'Amour

**200**rejections before anyone bought a story.Louis L'Amour

30years of rejected grants. Then the vaccine.Katalin Karikó

30years of rejected grants. Then the vaccine.Katalin Karikó

**5,317**free throws missed, the most in NBA history.Shaquille O'Neal

**5,317**free throws missed, the most in NBA history.Shaquille O'Neal

**275**matches lost. He won 1,251.Roger Federer

**275**matches lost. He won 1,251.Roger Federer

**1,383**strikeouts on the way to the home run record.Hank Aaron

**1,383**strikeouts on the way to the home run record.Hank Aaron

**1,476**games played. He never won a title.Karl Malone

**1,476**games played. He never won a title.Karl Malone

16seasons, no ring. He never stopped saying so.Charles Barkley

16seasons, no ring. He never stopped saying so.Charles Barkley

**312**gigs in one year, sleeping on sofas.Ed Sheeran

**312**gigs in one year, sleeping on sofas.Ed Sheeran

**$750,000**the price nobody would pay for Google in 1999.Larry Page

**$750,000**the price nobody would pay for Google in 1999.Larry Page

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. The numbers are from their own accounts.

Manifesto

Everyone here has failed at something they cared about. More than once.

We are certain we will make it. That is why we are here.

We share the failures, so the next attempt is better than the last.

Who it is for

Anyone chasing something that has not worked yet.

A business, a race, a book, a record, an exam, a body. The count works the same in every arena.

#failures

Rui · 4×

Luís · 7×

Your number
Day one post

For you if

You tried, in public or in private, and it did not work. At least once.
You are going to try again, and you want people around who get it.
You can write three lines about what failed without dressing it up.

Not for you if

You want to sell your course, your service or your app to the group.
You only want to vent, and do nothing afterwards.
You have never failed at anything. Good for you, but the conversation will not make sense.

How it works

Three things. That is the whole server.

Members

Online · 3

MMarta · 2×

RRui · 4×you

TTomás · 11×

Say your number

Name · N×. N is how many times you have failed at your project. It goes up, never down.

#failures

Rui · 4×today at 23:14

The bakery closed again. The oven broke in week two and there was no cash for the repair. Count goes to 5.

🧱 4🔁 6

Share the failures

In #failures, when they happen. What you tried, where it broke. Nobody lectures you back.

#wins

Rui · 5×today at 08:02

The bakery opened. Five attempts, seven years. Count frozen at 5.

🏁 31✅ 12

🏆 Winner

Post the win

In #wins, the day it works. The count freezes and you become a Winner.

Thursdays, 21:00 Lisbon. Round table in the voice room, five minutes each. Where I got stuck this week.

The count

The number next to your name is how many times you have failed.

It goes up every time an attempt fails. It is not shame. It is mileage.

See how you would look inside

Your name, and how many times you have failed at your project.

Your name · __×username

Failures, counted

Type a number and they get scratched in here.

Roles

LoserPortugal

Rules

Five. Short.

Break one, you get a warning. Twice, you are out.

1Say the real number.Seven is seven.

2One project at a time.Change it when it fails, and say so.

3Write what you did.Not what you plan to do.

4No pep talks, no selling.Questions and answers. No courses, no links to what you sell.

5Show up.Going quiet for weeks without a word is the one thing we remove people for.

Join

Six questions. An answer in 24 hours.

Free. One of us reads it. If we say yes, the email has your invite.

Apply to join

Questions

Before you join.

Short answers. If yours is not here, write to us on Instagram and we answer the same day.

Ask on Instagram