Over the years, the celebration of the virtues of failure has gradually become a mantra of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to failure evangelists, many of whom attend “Failcon” conferences held in cities across the world, the experience of bitter disappointment is a necessary step towards achieving real success. In tune with this idea, and with a touch of irony, the Swedish city of Helsingborg recently opened the very sincere Museum of Failure.
In this cathedral of innovation missteps, one finds a cornucopia of failures, including: coffee flavored Coca-Cola, a 1990s iPad that can send faxes, a Bic specially designed for women, a Harley Davidson perfume and even… Google Glass. The aim? To show the prevalence of failure in innovation. Curators with a sense for the kooky have collected nearly 70 products that were resounding commercial flops. If you are not intending to travel to southern Sweden anytime soon, you can find a selection of the museum’s best duds in this video :
