Dyson Founder Says He Has Lived a 'Life of Failure' (msn.com) 79
Inventor James Dyson described his career as "a life of failure" in a recent Wall Street Journal interview, citing setbacks as drivers of innovation. The 77-year-old creator of the bagless vacuum cleaner, who built a $16.8 billion fortune according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, created 5,127 prototypes over five years before successfully launching his signature product in 1993. "If something works, it's less challenging, it's less interesting," Dyson said. "If something's gone wrong, you want to know why it's gone wrong, and it's a learning process."
Dyson's company abandoned its electric vehicle project in 2019 despite investing over $600 million, concluding it wasn't commercially viable. The prototype now sits prominently at the company's Singapore headquarters. "I had to be pragmatic about it and say it's too risky for us to do, which is a shame because I loved doing it," Dyson said.
Dyson's company abandoned its electric vehicle project in 2019 despite investing over $600 million, concluding it wasn't commercially viable. The prototype now sits prominently at the company's Singapore headquarters. "I had to be pragmatic about it and say it's too risky for us to do, which is a shame because I loved doing it," Dyson said.
Sorry (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sorry (Score:5, Funny)
A life of sucking, one might say.
At least he did figure out how to make more money than any porn star doing it.
Only took him 5,127 times.
* golf clap *
What a whore.
* golf clap *
Re: (Score:2)
What a maid!
* golf clap *
What a Mega Maid! [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
As an architect of the brexit campaign (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Well, he was successfull in that endeavor. He and others managed to maintain the privileges for their rich mates.
Re: As an architect of the brexit campaign (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Dyson will be remembered as a traitor for helping take the UK out of the EU.
LOL, "traitor" by who? The people that lost the vote? And?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: As an architect of the brexit campaign (Score:2)
Re: As an architect of the brexit campaign (Score:3)
Well technically he "succeeded" and it was such a triumph that his company immediately fucked off to Singapore
Re: (Score:2)
he forgot to add that failure to his CV also.
That alone makes him one of the countries biggest failures. Probably the worlds.
Not such a failure (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
over-engineered, over-built
"Race to the bottom" should get more love in Slashdot. It gives people more stuff for less money, and it's silly to engineer a sandwich toaster to last for 20 years, when it might only get used 20 times. But I'm quite keen on my over-engineered vacuum cleaner.
Dyson (Score:3)
Re:Not such a failure (Score:4, Insightful)
He's making a joke, his entire life has been doing complicated inventing which pretty much requires failing multiple times. Thomas Edison said something similar, "I have not failed 10,000 times. I've successfully found 10,000 ways that won't work."
The "Dyson is the best" thing largely is a result of the fact that when they started there were no bagless vacuums, and his wasn't just bagless, but a very high quality device at that. People in the UK bought them and loved them. People in wealthy middle class households used to actually show off the Dyson to visitors. Of course, Hoover et al followed up pretty quickly (and there were lawsuits!)
Americans may be about to question this, but Dyson didn't start marketing in the US until long after bagless vacuums became widely available so in the US Dyson was just seen as a maker of fairly ordinary but expensive vacuum cleaners. They were still high quality, but so are high end Hoovers, which usually cost less.
Not a bad life, he has a lot to be proud of.
Re:Not such a failure (Score:4, Informative)
He's making a joke, his entire life has been doing complicated inventing which pretty much requires failing multiple times.
Actually not really. Dyson didn't "invent" the bagless vacuum, he simply scaled down an existing bagless vacuum he had in his own workshop. His big problem: he didn't understand it, so proceeded to create his vacuum using trial an error. The design of cyclonic separation was well known by the 90s. He could have saved himself some time reading a textbook.
He should be proud of creating a successful company, but from an engineering point of view he was less of an inventor and more of a tinkerer of existing things. His bladeless fan infamously was denied patents in Japan because ... well it was copied from Toshiba, and his patents had to be resubmitted multiple times before it was considered novel, and his jet hand drier was copied from Mitsubishi. There's no denying he and his company refined them - they both look sleeker than the ones which inspired / were copied from. But I find it a bit depressing to hear him mentioned in the same sentence as Edison.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It really isn't.
Re: (Score:2)
This contradicts literally everything I've read about it, including the Wikipedia summary of trusted sources here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] - but as you've gotten the entire development period wrong I suspect you've read some "skeptic" crap and not seen the history.
Dyson reportedly got the idea from an industrial saw dust remover built into a saw mill, which isn't something that'd normally be called a "vacuum cleaner" nor likely something he had in his lab. This was in the 1970s when he started doi
Re: (Score:2)
Cyclonic separation has been already well known before Dyson was born. It has been used for cleaning up the intake air of WW2 tank diesel engines, for example.
Re: (Score:2)
You are playing semantics. A saw mill dust remover not being called a vacuum cleaner is irrelevant. The point is that an air based system with cyclonic separation has existed since ... well I believe it was invented back in the 30s.
Not trying to be a dick but are you aware of any bagless vacuum cleaners in 1981?
Re-read my post. I didn't say he wasn't the first to create a bagless vacuum cleaner, quite the opposite. I said he scaled down such an existing system without understanding how it worked.
But then you've moved everything to the 1990s
Yes because the 90s was literally when he founded the company.
but the fucking text book he'd have been learning from would have been written by Dyson in the 1970s.
The people who used cyclonic s
Re: (Score:2)
Not trying to be a dick but are you aware of any bagless vacuum cleaners in 1981?
I think central vacuum systems [blogspot.com] have been bagless and existed since the 1900s. The earliest portable model I am aware is the Regina [wikipedia.org] was bagless as early as 1910.
Re: Not such a failure (Score:2)
I think it's more like: Oh, it's a Dyson, they're the best hoovers.
I Wish... (Score:3)
I wish that I could fail as tragically as he has.
Well, Dyson has better PR than Edison (Score:2)
I wish that I could fail as tragically as he has.
Aim higher, try to fail as much as Edison. Edison probably had far more failed experiments than Dyson. Dyson just has better PR today compared to Edison.
Re: (Score:2)
And boy did Edison fail hard. Just ask the roasted pachyderm.
Re: (Score:2)
Edison's two passion projects were concrete houses, and electric automobiles. The concrete houses never really went anywhere, although he made a housing development of prototype houses, and the reports from people who lived in them said that they were well made. Likewise, he never succeeded in making a practical electric automobile, although in the process he invented the alkaline battery, now ubiquitous in the cells used in consumer batteries (but not cars).
So, two failures.
Re: (Score:2)
And boy did Edison fail hard. Just ask the roasted pachyderm.
It's surprising the Edison Barbecue never took off. :-)
Re: (Score:2)
You win the Internet today!
Re: (Score:2)
Better PR? Sorry, but I just don't see Dyson being one for the history books in the way that Saint Edison is.
Re: (Score:2)
Better PR? Sorry, but I just don't see Dyson being one for the history books in the way that Saint Edison is.
The fact that the GGP went to Dyson rather than Edison (or the former Sony CEO) for an example of someone who failed a lot on the way to success kind of suggest Dyson's PR folks are doing pretty well. :-)
Dyson Sucks (Score:2)
Literally. Their vacuums are complete overpriced garbage. They can clog up easily, and once they do, they will very quickly kill themselves.
Re: (Score:2)
Dyson is excellent at marketing through technobabble. His vacuums are built on a budget and sold at a premium.
For example, I think the Dyson Big Ball would be a great sub-$100 vacuum, too bad it retails for $350. Usually marked down to $250 sometimes near $200, which is still more than I think it is worth. I'm still using an $80 Bissell, it's not without its flaws but it does what it needs to do.
Re: (Score:2)
As much as I dislike the brexity twat and think his stuff is overpriced... Nothing else I've tried cleans as well.
Re: (Score:2)
Miele is pretty nice and also quite expensive. Their bagged units are quite a bit better than their bagless. But that's normal, bagless is for the most part a bad design requirement that customers seem to think they want.
Dysons tend to break down shortly after the warranty, and it's a fair chunk of change to get them repaired. But customers do because of the theory of: in for a penny, in for a pound. Dyson stick is probably their least reliable model, but it's popular because it's convenient and one of the
Re: (Score:2)
I had a bagged Miele and it wasn't all that great. My two Dysons are 15 and 10 years old approximately, the cordless one on its second battery.
It's not just the suction, it's their agitators. Nobody else seems to be able to lift dust as well, especially from carpet.
They need cleaning now and then but that's about it. The older ones could be easier to empty, but they fixed that.
It's really quite annoying. I've tried AEG, Vax, Henry, and more. Nothing else comes close.
Re: (Score:2)
Shark. Their suction is better. Their rollers are better. Everything about them is easy to use.
Re: (Score:2)
I have heard they are good, but not tried them yet. I will investigate when I need to replace one.
Re:Dyson Sucks (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
It wasn't the HEPA filter, and yes there are things to clog.
Re: (Score:2)
All vacuums performed poorly on that score; with some I spent more time cleaning the filter than doing actual vacuuming. Only the Dyson held up well, needing on
Re: (Score:2)
I never even heard of Miele or Philips (in terms of vacuums, anyway), but they also sound like overpriced pieces of junk. It sounds like you needed a Shark instead.
Re: (Score:2)
We've had the same Dyson vac for around 20 years and haven't found that to be true at all. Also, when they clog, they are easy to unclog because of how they come apart.
Re: (Score:2)
I'd rather it not clog so easily to begin with for the ridiculous price you have to pay for one. I don't need to take apart my Shark for any reason. The rollers don't even accumulate hair. The Dyson brand has always been shit, no matter what your experience has been.
Re: (Score:2)
The Dyson brand has always been shit, no matter what your experience has been.
Oh yeah, no matter what my experience has been, even if it's great, only your experience matters. Ever consider that maybe you're shit at vaccuuming and you shouldn't let it suck up pens and shit?
Re: (Score:2)
Oh yeah, no matter what my experience has been, even if it's great, only your experience matters
Because your experience is incomplete. All your experience tells me is that it was good enough for you to never think there might be something better out there. I mean, sure, there are even worse vacuums out there than Dyson, but I can't think of any that charge a premium like Dyson for the comparative junk that they are.
Ever consider that maybe you're shit at vaccuuming and you shouldn't let it suck up pens and shit?
Nothing weird is getting vacuumed. At least one Dyson has choked on simple shredded paper that spilled onto the ground. Their bristle rollers accumulate hair. Their soft rollers barely pick
Re: (Score:2)
I'd rather it not clog so easily to begin with for the ridiculous price you have to pay for one. I don't need to take apart my Shark for any reason.
It has moving parts; things might break. The manufacturer can make it easier or harder for you to service your own vacuum. It is your choice that you would rather have it harder than easier. Not everyone agrees with that strategy. That's like saying you would rather not take apart your car for any reason.
Re: (Score:2)
It is your choice that you would rather have it harder than easier.
Uhhhh....not having to take it apart means it's easier, not harder, bud.
That's like saying you would rather not take apart your car for any reason.
Ideally, yeah. I'm not bashing on hobbyists who enjoy taking things apart and put them back together. But if I have to disassemble it regularly to make sure it still works, it's a piece of shit.
Re: (Score:2)
Uhhhh....not having to take it apart means it's easier, not harder, bud.
Your assumption is that you will never need to repair the vacuum. A consumer device with moving parts: what are the chances that repairs are never needed. As someone who has owned more than one vacuum cleaner, I had to throw away multiple models that a plastic part was broken but not easily or not meant to be replaced. In two cases, the body of the vacuum would have to be replaced but the manufacturers either did not sell the part or the price was higher than a new vacuum. The manufacturer would rather you
Re: (Score:2)
The Sharks are very easy to disassemble if you need to for some reason. But I've never needed to take one apart is what I'm what I was trying to get to. I've needed to take apart some piece of every other vacuum for one reason or another at least once a year. I've only need to empty its container.
Who said anything about hobbyists and "regular" disassembly?
No one, I just wanted to make it clear I wasn't trying to bash those who specifically enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together for (seemingly) no reason. "Regular" disassembly would be things like r
Re: Dyson Sucks (Score:2)
Bought our first Dyson 25 years ago and l, after vacuuming our carpets with the two vacuum cleaners we had, proceeded to vacuum the same carpets using the Dyson. That sold me - the Dyson picked up so much more. Then we called to get a part that needed replacing - not only was the part inexpensive, they went ahead and comped it for us. Comped additional parts too.
Finally it was 23 years old and wore out from old age. The Shark that replaced it is terrible by comparison. We are waiting for a sale to go along
Re: (Score:2)
Then we called to get a part that needed replacing - not only was the part inexpensive, they went ahead and comped it for us. Comped additional parts too.
This is not unique to Dyson. Lots of "expensive" brands do that.
You will unfortunately find that a Dyson from 25 years ago is nowhere near the same quality as a Dyson now, especially their "ball" vacuums.
Re: (Score:2)
Then we called to get a part that needed replacing - not only was the part inexpensive, they went ahead and comped it for us. Comped additional parts too.
This is not unique to Dyson. Lots of "expensive" brands do that.
You will unfortunately find that a Dyson from 25 years ago is nowhere near the same quality as a Dyson now, especially their "ball" vacuums.
That's a bummer to hear about the "modern" Dysons, thank you for the heads up. I guess I'll miss our Dyson Animal all the more...
Inventor? (Score:5, Insightful)
Dyson may have been the first to mass market but he most assuredly didn't invent cyclonic separation, which has been used in sawmills and the like for I don't know how long, nor did he invent the brushless motor in his overpriced portables despite what the adverts might say.
These days he's probably best known for promoting Brexit then fucking off to Malaysia (and taking his manufacturing with him) when it failed. Well, that and selling ludicrously overpriced fans and hair driers.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
These days he's probably best known for promoting Brexit then fucking off to Malaysia (and taking his manufacturing with him) when it failed. Well, that and selling ludicrously overpriced fans and hair driers.
I hope that is his legacy. When Brexit was unveiled to actually hurt his company and the country, he just moved his company overseas.
It's not a bad perspective (Score:3)
Anything novel worth doing is almost certainly going to be difficult, and it is incredibly unlikely anyone is going to get it done right on the first try. Maybe not the 100th, depending on the task.
Learning isn't just being told the way things are by someone who already knows, it's figuring out things yourself because sometimes there is nobody who already knows. And that means you have to be able to accept and learn from failure, and keep at it until you finally succeed.
If you never fail, you're not doing much with your life.
Re:It's not a bad perspective (Score:4, Interesting)
Anything novel worth doing is almost certainly going to be difficult, and it is incredibly unlikely anyone is going to get it done right on the first try. Maybe not the 100th, depending on the task.
Learning isn't just being told the way things are by someone who already knows, it's figuring out things yourself because sometimes there is nobody who already knows. And that means you have to be able to accept and learn from failure, and keep at it until you finally succeed.
If you never fail, you're not doing much with your life.
Hey, buddy. This is Slashdot. Some of us can not do much with our lives and still manage to fail a lot.
Re: (Score:2)
>Some of us can not do much with our lives and still manage to fail a lot.
With 8 billion people and our accumulated knowledge and activities, there's really not a lot of room for most of us to do anything really special anyway.
You really have to make up your own life goals, because the obvious one (be the best ever at something) is not practical.
Re: (Score:2)
The tricky part is that you have to learn from the bad decisions.
5,127 prototypes?! That explains a lot, actually. (Score:2)
I am most definitely a form-follows-function guy when it comes to tools and appliances. My impression of Dyson products has always been that they design the look and feel first, and then iterate like crazy until they can make the damn thing work at a minimal level. They find tons of ready buyers because the look and feel is truly awesome, and they sell it as a truly awe-inspiring price to match.
Re: (Score:2)
My Kirby (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Stupid Brexiteer (Score:1)
Asshole.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Success through trial and error is not failure (Score:2)
Nobody would ever have heard of him if all he had was failures. The world might have been better off, too, without Brexit.
agree (Score:2)
All his products are overpriced overhyped nothingburgers.