About this quote

Mistakes give you the facts you need to change course. Call that experience if you want, but the useful result is the same: you know what to fix. What will you do with that new information? Own the error, write down a single clear lesson, and change one thing before the next try.

When to use it

• On the postmortem call after a failed product launch: "Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes; let's list the missteps and fix one thing before the next release."
• After flunking a midterm, a student tells a tutor: "I guess experience is just that, my mistakes. Help me map what I did wrong so I can change one habit."
• A coach to a basketball player who keeps missing free throws: "Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes. Rewind the film, fix your routine, and take the next shot."
• At the kitchen table after a bad investment, a partner says: "We can call it experience, but we better write down what went wrong and set a rule so we don't repeat it."