F*ckup Nights

The F*ckup Nights movement is a global initiative that aims to challenge societal perceptions of failure by creating platforms where entrepreneurs and professionals openly share their stories of mistakes and setbacks.
What are the main aims and objectives?

The main aims and objectives of the F*ckup Nights movement are to normalize conversations around failure, challenge societal stigmas, and foster learning and growth through vulnerability. By creating spaces where entrepreneurs and professionals openly share their stories of professional and personal failures, the movement seeks to dismantle the glorification of success-only narratives and promote authenticity. It aims to build communities rooted in empathy, connection, and shared learning, encouraging individuals to view failure as an essential step toward innovation and personal development. Additionally, F*ckup Nights strives to influence organizational cultures by using failure as a tool for fostering creativity, transparency, and resilience, ultimately contributing to more humane and equitable systems.

How does the program work?

The F*ckup Nights movement operates through a series of organized events where individuals come together to share their personal stories of failure in a supportive and engaging environment. Each event typically features three speakers who recount their professional missteps in a candid manner, adhering to a specific format: each speaker has seven minutes to tell their story, often accompanied by up to ten images. This structure encourages succinctness and clarity, allowing the audience to grasp the essence of each experience. The events are designed to be informal and lively, often held in venues with unique character—such as bars, theaters, or co-working spaces—creating an atmosphere that fosters openness and connection among attendees.

Local organizers, referred to as "fck-uppers," play a crucial role in the movement's expansion and sustainability. They are empowered by the Fckup Nights organization through training and documentation, enabling them to manage events independently while adhering to the movement's core principles. Organizers pay a small membership fee to utilize the brand and resources provided by the central organization. To maintain community engagement, they are encouraged to host at least four events per year, with many opting for monthly gatherings to build a consistent presence in their localities. This approach not only enhances the quality of the events but also strengthens community bonds as participants return regularly.

In addition to public events, F*ckup Nights has expanded into corporate settings, offering tailored experiences for organizations looking to cultivate a culture that embraces failure as a pathway to innovation and learning. These private events allow companies to address specific challenges while leveraging storytelling as a means of fostering vulnerability and collaboration among employees.

What is the overall cost?

There is no available information on the running costs of F*ckup Nights

How was it implemented?

The F*ckup Nights movement was created in 2012 in Mexico City by a group of five friends who, during a casual evening of drinking mezcal, began sharing their personal stories of professional and entrepreneurial failures. They realized that, despite being close friends, they had never openly discussed these experiences before. Frustrated by the societal tendency to focus solely on success stories, they decided to create a space where people could talk candidly about their mistakes and the lessons learned from them. This initial gathering inspired them to organize a formal event two weeks later, inviting more friends and asking three individuals to share their failure stories in front of an audience.

The concept resonated deeply with attendees, leading the friends to host regular monthly events. Over time, the idea spread organically as people from other cities expressed interest in replicating the format. The movement grew rapidly, fueled by its universal appeal—failure is a shared human experience that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries. By 2015, F*ckup Nights had reached over 100 cities worldwide and has since expanded into a global movement operating in more than 300 cities across 90+ countries. Its success lies in its authenticity and relatability, offering a platform for vulnerable storytelling that fosters learning, connection, and community.

What impact has been measured?

The F*ckup Nights movement has had some notable successes: 

  • Expanded to over 300 cities across 90+ countries, with events in diverse venues from theaters to beaches.
  • Created a global community of over 190,000 attendees, fostering connections based on authenticity and vulnerability
  • Expanded into over 200 corporations, offering private events to address specific organizational challenges
What lessons can be learned?

Challenge faced by the initiative: Literature is extensive in entrepreneurship and business topics; however, the focus is centered on case studies of success. Business failure as such, has been underestimated as an object of study in several papers. This situation has created an information shortfall in databases and case studies. To encourage the study of this subject, and understand the relevance that documenting and researching failure has, a research arm of F*ckup Nights was set up (F*ckup Knowledge , formerly The Failure Institute). Its mission: to help decision makers make better-informed decisions on businesses, academia, and public policies.

Notes + Additional Context

Similar initiatives, explicitly intended to reduce the stigma associated with failure, include small-scale events like Startup Funerals and Closed Club, to larger conferences like Failcon (started in San Francisco in 2009) and Failing Forward (organised by the Belgian Startup Association in 2016 and sponsored by the European Commission’s Startup Europe programme). The Government of Finland is also organising a similar event.

CURATED BY

Researcher, Digital Startups
Nesta
United Kingdom