Issue 57: The Fear of Failure
Welcome to Backstory, a weekly newsletter turning global technology shifts into a three-minute read. This week, we’re thinking about how storytelling will outlive this pandemic – Mary Ames, Director of Strategy
THE BIG TAKE
The Fear of Failure
This is an incredibly difficult time of the year to be under lockdown. Despite the lockdown easing, this is the time of year in which we usually come together instead of staying apart. But these aren’t normal times and the only way we can defeat the Covid-19 pandemic is to maintain social distancing. Our physical distance doesn’t need to impact how we share stories. Now more than ever, stories are the glue keeping people together.
Deeper meaning: Writing for Gulf News this week, Xische’s CEO, Danish Farhan, outlined how storytelling is the perfect response to the Covid-19 pandemic. For businesses looking to remain relevant and pivot to unlock new opportunities in this economic landscape, Farhan wrote, meaning is paramount and stories facilitate meaning. It is not about what you can bring to the marketplace but why you are in the marketplace to begin with.
Try again, fail again: To shift thinking and change the mindset, business leaders need to return to the power of storytelling. The best stories happen to those who try and fail. Therefore, storytellers need to confront fear. In the business world, fear is unavoidable. Failure is a natural part of a business and can enable deep growth. As the playwright Samuel Beckett put it, we need to try again, fail again, and ultimately fail better. Storytelling is the vehicle through which we engage in that process.
Key pivots: As we begin the process of recovery, the power of storytelling will be a critical part of the process. Focusing on the story forces businesses to think about why they operate instead of how they operate. This shift in approach can make the difference between being nimble in this challenging marketplace or getting stuck in outdated mindsets. As Farhan noted, “throughout history, storytelling has been one of humanity’s immovable pillars and we need it now more than ever.”
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
This week, we’re asking a powerful question: Are you afraid of failure? Get in touch across our social media channels @xische with your thoughts, feelings, and answers. Or drop us a line and just say hello.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best."
– Andrew Carnegie, industrialist
COVID19 STORIES
We are passionate about telling human stories. Now more than ever, those stories involve you. Covid19 Stories is a showcase of words, photos, and videos of our global community designed to celebrate shared experiences from this time of isolation. Powered by Empowering through, this exhibition is a dynamic and living testament to the historic moment we’re living through. Visit Covid19 Stories to share your story today.
OUR VIEWS THIS WEEK
Internet infrastructure: Google is still under investigation in the United States Congress for potential antitrust behavior connected to its overhaul of DNS protocols in its Chrome web browser last year. Sounds pretty technical, right? We thought so too. In this article from our archives, we unpack this important case to highlight how the technical aspects of the internet’s infrastructure are coming into sharp focus in data regulation debates. TL;DR: It’s time to brush up on how the back-end of the internet operates.
Medicine on your phone: The Covid-19 crisis has turned our focus to the health sector. In the last year, there have been marked improvements in how medical information is shared between doctors and patients. Abu Dhabi recently unveiled a new application that will give medical professionals up to 15,000 medical records for 3 million people. In this article from the archives published by Xische, we argued that this development will greatly impact the quality of life in the UAE and beyond.
A MESSAGE FROM SMART LABOUR
Smart learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented economic hardships for all sectors of society including blue-collar workers. SmartLabour is an app-based smart learning tool designed to improve the lives of millions of blue-collar workers. Workers learn critical life skills, win rewards, and can share tips through voice notes in their native language. During these uncertain times, please visit Smartlabour and consider supporting their vital work. Together we can make the lives of millions happier and smarter.
SPOTTED ELSEWHERE
Uncharted future: The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and some new research suggests that the virus will continue to haunt us like the flu but there is cause for optimism. The wheels of the global economy are starting to move as countries and cities ease their lockdowns. For business leaders and entrepreneurs, the restart phase of this crisis could be harder than the lockdown. The Wall Street Journal explored how the real leadership test is yet to come for many businesses. Returning to the familiar would be a mistake.
Start your engines: Did you hear about that Marc Andreessen piece last week? The mega-entrepreneur hasn’t written an article in years and last week he published a dynamite argument proclaiming that it’s time to build. As the lockdowns ease and the economic engine revs up, Andreessen’s article is a critical one. Building isn’t easy but our civilization and our society were built on production. Let’s start building.