Failure is not a detour from entrepreneurship; it is one of the possible outcomes of building something meaningful. That is the central message from Steve Kamb, founder of Nerd Fitness, in his new book, How to Try Again: An Approachable Guide to Navigating Chaos and Making Change That Sticks. Drawing on years of writing about failure, self-compassion, and lasting change, Kamb argues that setbacks should be treated as information, not proof that a founder has run out of road.
One of his key points is that no setback truly sends someone back to zero. A founder who has tried, failed, and tried again has still learned how the process works: what decisions need to be made, where the friction appears, and which assumptions did not hold up. Even when a business or habit does not stick, the experience can make the next attempt more efficient. In that sense, failure can move a person forward by revealing what to avoid and what to simplify.
Kamb also pushes back on the idea that constant forward motion is always the goal. Sometimes the smartest move is not to push harder but to tread water, especially when time, energy, or other resources are limited. He suggests that what looks like a motivation problem may actually be a capacity problem. Rather than demanding perfection, he argues for a smaller standard: doing enough to show you have not quit. A single healthy meal, a short walk, or one workout can be enough to keep momentum alive.
Acceptance is another theme running through the book. Kamb says it is not the same as surrender; it is a practical response to the reality that life rarely unfolds as planned. Instead of waiting for conditions to return to normal, founders and builders are better served by accepting the messiness of the present and focusing on what they can control today. He describes this as a “yes and” mindset: yes, the situation is difficult, and yes, there are limits, and here is where attention should go now.
Finally, Kamb warns against copying other people’s version of success without asking whether it is actually desirable. He notes that public success stories rarely show the full cost behind the scenes, and that ambition often requires sacrifices that may not be worth making. For founders, that means asking a more honest question than whether the reward justifies the effort. It also means asking whether the goal itself is something they genuinely want. In Kamb’s view, building a business becomes more sustainable when the goal matches the person chasing it.
Source: fastcompany.com
