Lessons from James Dyson

Sir James Dyson, the British inventor, industrial designer, and founder of the Dyson company, is renowned for his revolutionary approach to engineering and his perseverance in the face of adversity. His journey to success, famously marked by the creation of 5,127 prototypes for his first bagless vacuum cleaner, offers a wealth of wisdom on innovation, failure, and determination.

On Failure and Perseverance

"I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. That's how I came up with a solution. So I don't mind failure." [1] This is perhaps Dyson's most famous anecdote, illustrating his relentless approach to problem-solving.
"Learning by failure is a remarkably good way of gaining knowledge." [2][3] This quote from his autobiography encapsulates his core philosophy.
"Failure is to be welcomed rather than avoided. It is a part of learning. It should not be feared by the engineer or scientist or indeed by anyone else." [3][4]
"Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success." [1][5]
"The key to success is failure… Success is made of 99 percent failure." [1]
"What I've learned from running is that the time to push hard is when you're hurting like crazy and you want to give up. Success is often just around the corner." [4]
"Everyone gets knocked back, no one rises smoothly to the top without hindrance. The ones who succeed are those who say, right, let's give it another go." [5][6]
"Stumbling upon the next great invention in an “ah-hah!” moment is a myth. It is only by learning from mistakes that progress is made." [7]
"Failure is painful, but it spurs on improvement like nothing else." [5]
"We need to embrace failure and move forward." [8] This philosophy is presented as a driving force behind his success.
"To this day, it is the fear of failure which makes me keep working at success." [9]
On a failed washing machine venture: "[It] was the most wonderful educative failure." [7] This shows his ability to extract value even from commercial failures.
"There is no such thing as a quantum leap. There is only dogged persistence – and in the end you make it look like a quantum leap." [4]

On Innovation and Ideas

"Invention is often more about endurance and patient observation than brainwaves." [3][4]
"In order to fix it, you need a passionate anger about something that doesn't work well." [4][5] This points to the emotional drive behind innovation.
"When you design something, everything about it has to have a purpose. There has to be a reason." [2][10]
"We're taught to do things the right way. But if you want to discover something that other people haven't, you need to do things the wrong way." [1][5]
"New ideas are fragile things in need of encouragement and nurturing against doubting Thomases, know-it-alls and so-called experts." [2]
"Great inventions are born of frustration with a desire to use the tools around you to improve and invent." [11]
"You are just as likely to solve a problem by being unconventional and determined as by being brilliant." [1]
"Creativity + Iterative Development = Innovation." [5] This is his "magic formula" for innovation.
"Be obsessed with solving problems, not just making products." [12] A key lesson from his entrepreneurial journey is to focus on the customer's problem.
"Challenge the Status Quo and Don't Follow the Crowd." [12] Dyson's success was built on creating a product that was fundamentally different from the market standard.
"Risk aversion is a hapless approach for a company that's hoping to develop new technology." [1]
"I didn't do all this to make money. I did it because I wanted to make a better vacuum cleaner." [9]

On Experience and Expertise

"At Dyson, we don't particularly value experience. Experience tells you what you ought to do and what you'd do best to avoid. It tells you how things should be done when we are much more interested in how things shouldn't be done." [2][13]
"If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hindrance." [2][13]
On hiring graduates: "I want people who haven't done something before and want to find a new and better way of doing it. And who have no fear of failure." [14]
"We should follow our interests and instincts, mistrusting experts." [2][10]
"Experts tend to be confident that they have all the answers and, because of this trait, they can kill new ideas." [2]
"My tale is one of not being brilliant... I did, however, have the bloody-mindedness not to follow convention, to challenge experts and to ignore Doubting Thomases." [4][10]
"Trust Your Own Instincts. Stand by your idea." [15] Dyson recalls how market research told him the clear bin on his vacuums was a bad idea, but he trusted his gut.

On Business and Entrepreneurship

"Being an entrepreneur is not the same as being the wide boy of the media's imagination. It is about creating new products and new opportunities, generating rewarding employment and opportunities in the process." [2][13]
"Commit to your vision, even when others don't understand." [12] Dyson faced constant rejection from manufacturers and investors who couldn't see the potential in his bagless technology.
"Take Calculated Risks." [15] Dyson advises that recessions can be an opportune time to invest in innovation while competitors are dormant.
"Invest in Quality and Innovation, Even When It's Expensive." [12] A core tenet of the Dyson brand is superior, long-lasting design.
"Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. It's coming up with ideas, testing principles and perfecting the engineering, as well as final assembly." [4]
"I could buy companies, tart up their products and put my name on them, but I don't want to do that. That's what our competitors do." [1]

On Engineering and Design

"Permanently dissatisfied is how an engineer should feel." [2] This drives the need for constant improvement.
"I believe that it is crucial to keep on improving and never to relax with a product that appears to be selling well." [2]
"Research is about conducting experiments, accepting and even enjoying failures, but going on and on, following a theory garnered from observing the science." [2][4]
"The modern engineer is much more likely to be found using computer-aided design to create virtual prototypes than he is to be mending a bike." [16]
On his design philosophy: "I felt that such simple geometric minimalism was a suffocating and dull form of design." [17] This explains the distinctive, functional aesthetic of his products.
"Life is a mountain of solvable problems and I enjoy that." [5]
"Dyson advertising focuses on how our products are engineered and how they work, rather than on gimmicks and snappy sales lines." [4]

On Learning and Life

"Jeremy Fry taught me, without saying a word, that each day is a form of education." [13] Dyson credits his first mentor for teaching him the value of continuous, hands-on learning.
"If you always succeed and always give the right answer you're learning nothing." [14]
"I want to see their failures. because that's what you learn from." [14]
"Stamina and determination along with creativity are needed in overcoming seemingly impossible difficulties in research and other challenges in life." [3][4]
"Remember that there is nothing wrong with being persistently dissatisfied or even afraid. We should follow our interests and instincts... knowing that life is one long journey of learning, often from mistakes." [2][10]

Learn more: