So... it’s finally happening.

Right now, as I type this, I’m in the middle of teaching Learning to Fail to a group of undergrads at Duke University. Which is where this whole thing began.

It’s a weird class: instead of lectures and slides, there are jellybeans, donut sculptures, and jenga challenges.

It’s something I like to call “Deviant Learning.” It involves leading my students through real world interactions, challenges, and exercises that often lead to deep insights about life and entrepreneurship.

It’s challenging.
It’s creative.
It’s fun.

But most importantly, it helps my students stop being so darn afraid about screwing up, asking dumb questions, and trying things!

We all have different relationships with failure, and some of these relationships get in the way of reaching for what we want most out of life.

I started sharing bits of the class online: The stories, the challenges, the insights.

And something kind of wild happened:

I’ve been teaching Learning to Fail at Duke for over a decade, and for most of that time, it’s only been available to enrolled students. An on-campus thing. 

However, your questions and comments made me think…can I bring this class to more people?

It started out as a crazy idea but turned into one of those “crazy ideas that just might work!”

So here’s the announcement:

For the first time ever, I’m opening Learning to Fail to the public.

Your DMs and comments have been an inspiration. So now Learning to Fail is online and open to anyone.

Not just Duke students. Not just current college kids.

You. Me. Five of my core challenges. One unforgettable experiment in doing the things that scare us.

This course is creative, challenging, and intentionally designed to push you out of your comfort zone in the best possible way.

You’ll move through it at your own pace, but each week you’ll unlock a new lesson and a new real-world challenge. These aren’t theoretical exercises. They’re things you’ll actually have to do. Things that feel a little scary. Things you might completely mess up.

That’s the point.

Every challenge is paired with a Failure Log page in your workbook, a simple space for you to reflect on what happened, how it felt, and what you learned. No uploads. No grades. No pressure. Just honest self-reflection designed to help you build resilience, curiosity, and creative confidence.

Throughout the course, you’ll also hear from guest creators and thinkers who have failed (sometimes spectacularly) and lived to tell the story. Their experiences will help you see failure not as something to avoid, but as a necessary ingredient for growth.

This is your personal lab for experimenting, trying, stumbling, and getting better week after week.