Name: How to fail at almost everything and still win big
ISBN: 9781591846918

How to fail at almost everything and still win big

"Dilbert creator Scott Adams offers his most personal book ever -- a funny memoir of his many failures and what they eventually taught him about success. How do you go from hapless office worker to world-famous cartoonist and bestselling author in just a few years? No career guide can answer that, and not even Scott Adams (who actually did it) can give you a road map that works for everyone. But there's a lot to learn from his personal story, and a lot of humor along the way. In How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Adams admits that he failed at just about everything he's tried, including his corporate career, his inventions, his investments, and his two restaurants. But along the way, Adams discovered some truths you're unlikely to find anywhere else. "

What Hacker News says

treetalkerJan 2026

On the off-chance he ever sees this, I am grateful to him as the vector through which I acquired the mental model that systems beat goals (the key to many types of success is consistently repeated action — the activity, not the lagging indicator of results). (Book: How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.)

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chrisco255Jan 2026

Really love Scott for creating Dilbert one of the best all-time comic strips, teaching the psychology of persuasion, and for writing How to Fail At Almost Everything and Still Win Big. It taught me to focus on systems and habits as a preference over goals (goals are still useful, but can be unrealistic and less adaptable). Plus God's Debris was an interesting thought experiment about the origin of the universe. Really great thinker and humorist. RIP Scott.

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dsjoergJan 2026

Came here to say this, I really appreciated "How to Fail At Almost Everything and Still Win Big".

I'm not here to judge the man or everything he did, I'm here to say thanks for the stuff I loved.

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mannanjJan 2026

I loved this guy. His writing and book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big particularly impacted me early and exposed me to First Principles, biases, and in particular not giving a f*k about what people care so much.

he was one of those people who was attacked during COVID and labeled and propagandized against as a scapegoat for the failings of our unaccountable leadership - the cancel culture was unfair and unwelcome towards him. I resonated with that too.

I hope his legacy lives on - it will in me.

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fatherwaveletJan 2026

I really enjoyed How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.

I think you also have to mention along his talent stack, all his failed business ideas. He really seemed to give his ideas a shot even if they didn't make much sense. I don't think most people would even pursue the Dilbert idea.

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nlawalkerJul 2025

This article could have been called "How to increase your surface area for opportunities to find you", because that's another component. You still have to recognize them and act on them, but these behaviors can potentially get more of those opportunities "into the funnel".

Scott Adams' book "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" talks a lot about this, and is an enjoyable read, despite the author's current reputation.

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