Fail Fast

Definition

A philosophy where you validate ideas quickly through experimentation rather than careful planning—basically expensive trial and error with a catchy name.

Example Usage

We're failing fast by launching 10 product features per month with minimal testing, which is great for learning if we survive the crashes.

Origin

Popularized by the Lean Startup movement and Agile development culture

Fun Fact

'Fail fast' assumes you learn from failures and adapt; in practice, many companies just fail slow while calling it fast

Source: Lean startup and product development terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

exit

In startup land, the glorious moment when founders and investors finally cash out, either through acquisition or IPO, turning years of ramen dinners and sleepless nights into actual money. It's the entrepreneurial equivalent of winning the lottery, except you had to build the lottery first. Every VC's favorite word and every founder's obsession after their Series A.

🚀 Startup / VC

Beginner

B2B (Business to Business)

Selling to other companies rather than consumers, typically involving longer sales cycles and higher contract values.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

co-investment rights

Special privileges allowing certain LPs to invest additional money directly into specific portfolio companies alongside the fund, usually with lower or no fees. The VIP backstage pass of venture investing.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

biotechnology

The industry dedicated to using living organisms and biological systems to create products, solve problems, and generally play god in the most profitable way possible. It's where biology meets engineering meets venture capital, resulting in everything from life-saving drugs to designer yeast that makes better beer. Think of it as science's entrepreneurial phase, where petri dishes can lead to IPOs.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

parachute round

Emergency financing raised by a struggling startup at unfavorable terms just to avoid immediate shutdown. It's the fundraising equivalent of pulling the ripcord on a failing skydive.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

priced equity round

A funding round where the company valuation is explicitly set and shares are sold at a specific price per share, unlike convertible instruments that defer pricing. It's the grown-up version of fundraising, with actual valuations and everything.

🚀 Startup / VC

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