It’s better to be lucky than good

Listen and learn from people who’ve already been through it. I never wanted to be the guy who says, “If I knew then what I know now.” But let’s be honest — you could say that at the end of every week.

I’m not bitter. I bit off more than I could chew with these hangers. I’ve had several businesses, and overall, I’m winning in the business world. That’s why I say: sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Success often comes down to the right thing at the right time.

I’m a giver. If I’ve already made the mistake, I’ll share it with you — no hesitation. If that doesn’t change your mind, well, I tried.

The Real Loss

I don’t tell many people how badly I lost on this product. But if I don’t share it here, then it was all for nothing. This failure didn’t change my life. Getting hit on a motorcycle and losing a leg — that changed my life.

You can always find a way to make money, especially today. I’m still glad I grew up when I did. Back then, business meant brick and mortar: sign a lease, hire employees, and hope you make a sale. The odds of success were 20%. Eight out of ten failed. And even the “successful” ones? Many just avoided bankruptcy.

So when I look at this hanger failure through that lens, it wasn’t that bad. It hurt my pride more than my wallet. After all the failed attempts, I finally had a hanger that worked. I thought I’d won. I was wrong.

Lessons from the Loft

If I’d known how to use a computer early on, I might’ve realized people don’t care much about organizing. They work all day — they’re not coming home to sort their stuff. I get it now. I just didn’t then.

We learn every day. I just learned this one the hard way. If it weren’t for the motorcycle crash, I wouldn’t have had the time to take this beating. I thought I was headed to Shark Tank. Instead, I got a front-row seat to reality.

Celebrate your wins. The losses are tough, but they even out.

Still Useful, Still Strong

These joist hangers do more than I expected. I cut one in half and used it to hang things in the garage. They’re strong. They work. But they didn’t sell.

Even the BBB signed me up — just to rub it in a little more.

To make an invention successful, you need money and backup. I had the invention. I didn’t have the rest.