#437 - James Dyson - Dyson - “Failure is more exciting than success”

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A life of failures, a life of success.

Two opposing directions, yes one destiny — that of Sir James Dyson: “Failure is far more fascinating than success.”

An inventor to his core, he developed a passion for engineering and, in the 1980s, created the world’s best vacuum cleaner.

To start his company, James Dyson mortgaged his home and possessions to secure a bank loan. To this day, he still owns 100% of Dyson’s shares.

More than 5000 trials and errors later… he finally found a way to end the ongoing nightmare of vacuum cleaning. Thus, the bagless and transparent vacuum cleaner was introduced to the market 15 years after the first prototype.

Dyson has since established itself as a leading brand in vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, and much more. By manufacturing its own components and motors (15 million per year), the company has become a titan of British industry.

This is an incredible episode with a knight who has fought countless battles and shares the hard-earned lessons he’s learned along the way. Fair warning: you might just be inspired to start your own venture.

James Dyson reflects on the breakthrough moments of his career:

• The wheelbarrows: the problem with a seasonal product
• Why market studies are insufficient for making decisions
• A dry loss of 600 million: the never-released Dyson car
• The importance of air quality: the indoor pollution we all ignore
• How to design a product that is iconic
• The creation of Dyson University

TIMELINE:

• 00:00:00 : From the Royal College of Art to the wheelbarrow
• 00:16:04 : Eureka : solving the vacuum problem
• 00:22:54 : A life of failure and some AI considerations
• 00:31:11 : The inaccuracy of market research: the audacity of a bagless vacuum
• 00:43:02 : Now, make them glamour!
• 00:48:59 : How to produce 15 million electric motors a year
• 00:56:33 : Becoming the master of air flow (since wind is gods’ competence)
• 01:08:37 : Go purify your room ! The pollution you should to watch for
• 01:13:36 : The 600M euros failure
• 01:26:00 : Some products fit the market, and others just don't
• 01:37:38 : Creating the Dyson University
• 01:45:30 : How to never go out of style : the engineering way

We referred to previous GDIY episodes:

• #332 - Sophie Cahen - Ganymed Robotics - Repairing the living with robots
• #426 - Thomas Clozel - Owkin - How to Break Big Pharma with AI
• #259 - Thibaud Elziere - eFounders - Startups, Web3, solar sails, and luxury homes: when curiosity knows no bounds.
• #346 - Jean-Claude Biver - Biver Watches - Lessons from a luxury watchmaking legend
• #128 Quentin Sannié - Devialet / Greenback - Emotions to reinvent the world

We spoke about:

• Dyson
• Dyson OnTrac Headphone
• Dyson Chitosan range
• Airblade
• The Dyson car
• Hair dryer
• Dyson Purifier
• Harley J. Earl (vice-president of General Motors)
• Mini (the car)
• Leonardo self supporting bridge
• Dyson Farming
• Dyson shop in Paris

Reading Recommendations:

• Invention: A Life of Learning through Failure (english version)
• Invention : une vie à apprendre par l'échec (french version)

Do you like the theme music? It's thanks to Morgan Prudhomme! Contact him at: https://studio-module.com.

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