We think it’s important to be okay with failure- and make the most of it. But once you’ve accepted it, and it actually happens, shouldn’t your (for lack of a better word) self-therapy continue? If it was your own failure and no one else’s, you need to help your teammates avoid the same mistake.

No need to get all mushy, but it helps to talk about it. Say it out loud- one way or another. Here are some ways I can think of to just that (without calling in a counselor).

• Write a blog post about your failure. Writing can be a powerful form of stress-relief, kind of like that enraged e-mail you’ll never send. Feels good to get it out, though, right? Plus, think of it this way- you’re being open and honest about what you’re dealing with, which helps other people who are dealing with the exact same thing.

• Ask for advice from your teammates. You could send an e-mail, or an IM, to your team- briefly explain what happened, and ask if they have any ideas for making the plan more successful next time. Not only does this build team unity, but it makes everyone feel welcome to share their ideas. If you’re asking, chances are someone wants to pipe up with an answer.

• Research it. Think you’re the only one who’s ever dealt with this particular failure? Find out. A quick Google search will probably point you in the right direction. If your failure was not the first in the entire world (which is probably wasn’t) you can learn from other people who have already talked about their mistakes. Then take your findings to a team meeting and brainstorm a little. Can you tweak the idea toward success? Is the most you learned from this failure is that this particular method will not work?

Even though you’re okay with failure, it will probably still bug the crap out of you. And that’s okay. If it didn’t bother you at least a little, you might question your passion for the project in the first place. Don’t try to suppress the emotions that will motivate you to get it right next time; the hatred for the feeling of failure might be just enough.

Failing doesn’t stop at the actual act of failing. It takes learning from it, dealing with it and talking about it.

“So you heard about the Posterous Switch Campaign, right?”

Position #1: Bold-Faced Reality. Suck it up.

Posterous believes in their product, and is willing to stick its neck out for it. They didn’t insult anyone outright- and if another company was insulted, they should step back and evaluate what can be done better. It’s an opportunity for competitors to resist the urge to retaliate, and focus on improvement.

In the end, I think people will choose the better product.

Position #2: D*ckhead Move. Think, first.

Yeah, but in marketing, unless done carefully, (which I don’t believe this is) it’s generally considered a bad idea to give air time to your competitors. I mean they actually listed them… (Although I almost feel a little hypocritical… On our website, we clearly call out our competitor by stating that our product is not Basecamp. Maybe we should take our own advice…)

And to call Tumblr a dying platform, when Posterous relies on email for a major input pattern seems totally wack.

I’ll admit it’s good that they made publicity. But at what cost? I would rather make lots of friends, and grow slowly. Learning from, and try to draft off of our competitors’ speed than create a turf war.

I think it’s been proven that this technique works best online… Instead of fighting your competitor- make them obsolete by embracing those things that users like… Use their own API to offer easy ways to integrate, and slowly erode their core service.

So, since we don’t seem to agree, we’re asking you. What do you think?

“I’ve been a staction user for a while now, and I started to “get” the flow of using staction after a few days.

With paprika, I got one of the free accounts, but I haven’t really been spending any time in it. For me, the mark of a good productivity app is whether I willingly jump into using it in the course of a normal day.

I find myself reaching for staction to put post-it notes, todos, and it’s a pretty smooth experience.

I would like to get to know paprika better, but the thought of having to retype or copy and paste over my notes from staction makes it a bit of a chore.

Now that the product has been out there for a bit now, what kind of workflow feedback are you seeing from your users? Any suggestions or tips?”

A legitimate question, and one we were happy to answer!

“To be honest, – we’re not too sure about everyone’s workflow so far. We’re trying to gather info via support, but we haven’t done any surveys, or customer interviews yet.

But here’s how we use Staction and Paprika. 80% of everything we do still gets recorded into Staction. But those occasional projects that have buttloads of todos, or lots and lots of notes have never fit well inside of Staction. It’s an admitted weakness. Staction is for short bursts, and quick communication check-ins. But it’s not great at the long-form. So when we don’t want to cloud the stream with long posts, or too many posts at once, we create a Paprika project, and share it in the stream via a link.

I think of it like a folder inside the project. Share a link, mark it as a todo. Visit the Paprika page, and mark all the todos complete, then hop to Staction, and mark that whole link complete.

But Paprika is much more a personal-use tool right now. I use it tons for my non-work-related tasks, and notes. I use it for my “do this today” stuff that the group really doesn’t need to know about. I share little lists with my wife. I hope with some upcoming updates, we’ll make Paprika even more friendly for quick notes, and better sharing. It’s a small app, and not everyone needs it now, but we have some really exciting plans to grow it over time.

Thanks for writing. You have no idea what it means to us when people care enough to write to us about our apps.”

Do you have any additional tips you’ve picked up while using Paprika?

As I got further and further into the debate of whether or not management is considered a profession, I decided this is the way all comment threads should be. There are opposing viewpoints, but in the form of “While I think so-and-so has some valid points, I’m not sure his reasoning is well thought out,” and “I think you have missed a fundamental point underlying this particular observation…” These comments aren’t insulting, they’re factual.

Bravo Harvard Medical Review.

I’d like to see more of this type of language on comment threads, personally. While not everyone has to be so formal, I think these basic guidelines given by the Bleacher Report (yes, sports related) can apply to nearly everyone:

Personal Attacks versus Debating

Despite popular belief, there is a difference. First, let me explain what constitutes a personal attack.

A personal attack involves insulting the member you’re debating with in some derogatory way. As soon as you drop a “moron,” “idiot,” or “dumbass,” you have personally attacked someone.

Now I know we all feel very passionately about our respective teams and players, but if you drop an insult on another user, you open yourself up to having your entire comment deleted.

Name-calling and talking about someone’s mom is not only immature, but it also detracts from the credibility of your argument.

Now I’m not saying you can’t disagree—quite the opposite. Intelligent debate is encouraged on B/R. Most sports junkies are competitive by nature, so B/R is the perfect place to say what you think and defend your point of view.

Keep it classy.

What you include, and likewise, what you actively choose not to include is what becomes part of you. Being able to do so while being consistent with what you know to be true is the intersection between conviction and risk. And that won the crown every time.” – from Bobulate.

She nailed it.

We can’t just throw ingredients into the mix without first analyzing why they should be there in the first place. It’s careless. Why would we do that with our apps’ features?

Here’s the gist: You set aside a time slot- could be hours, could be days- and you do nothing but write. You write about ideas you’ve had, you write about ideas other people have had, you write about anything your heart desires. Like Jonathan Fields says, nobody will see your pages unless you choose to share them, so don’t hold back. This is a great time to celebrate your lack of plan, too.

Sitting down for an entire month might be a little extreme, but the idea is something we long for in this industry- being able to put yourself in a place with absolutely zero distraction, where inhibitions must be checked at the door, and judgements aren’t allowed. Just you and your ideas. Implementing them is step #2, and no less demanding of your time and energy- but respect the order of numbers and dig yourself out of the hole first.

What, they think they can read your mind? How pompous.

I think it’s really important to watch out for this with users in a support situation. Whether it’s by phone, or by e-mail, take the time to hear all of what they say. You may have to read between the lines, or catch the slight inflection of their voice to get the real message anyway. Be an active listener... or better yet, a reflective listener.

Whether it’s with your users, or your neighbors, don’t sabotage your relationships by manipulating the conversation. Something important might be being said while you’re busy retaliating.

Don’t know how?

“If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try repeating their words mentally as they say it – this will reinforce their message and help you control mind drift.”

I couldn’t agree more. Failing is part of life and often leads to some of the greatest discoveries along the way! Plus, it’s a great way to learn. We shouldn’t be afraid to fail; we should get really excited at the opportunity to turn it into a positive.

Now we’re one step closer to what works best.

There isn’t an entire group of people devoted to branding your company, as with some larger gigs, so it’s up to each of you to manage your reputation.

Website Magazine recently quipped: “A business and personal reputation is measured by your consumers’ perception of the brand’s products and services.”

Translation: Everything you do affects how your users view you, and your apps.

I think people find comfort in believing in the company behind the products they use. They like knowing there are actual humans in there somewhere. Humanity can be shown through really simple things like:

• Personable, opinionated tweets, not just product/blog article pushes.
• Thoughtful, and relevant e-mails.
• Thank yous! (They go a long way, and should never be underestimated.)
• Transparent, humble, and informative blog articles.

Every time someone new discovers your company, it’s like standing face to face with them for the first time. So you essentially (hopefully!) have tons of first impressions every single day.

Better make each one a good one.

Does it make you work harder, faster, longer? Or do you buckle under pressure?

You’re at a great risk of failure as a startup company, and learning to beat the odds is the number one thing you should come to terms with.

I won’t try and tell you how to beat the odds because honestly, I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone knows; every single situation is different. But I do know the motivation to do so is something that has to come from deep within you.

Knowing you’re expected to fail makes it easier if you actually do, but a hundred times more rewarding if you don’t. I’m not saying to be afraid of failure- lord knows we’re comfortable with quitting bad ideas when we know it’s time- but work your ass off up to that point.

Fight the odds, and if they win, buy them a beer.