Why I Failed: A Lesson in Believing in Your Ideas

The DIY Gift Idea

Back in February 2011, I was still into electronics and wanted to give a special gift to a woman. I could have bought something expensive like a car, but money was tight. I wanted to show my romantic side without spending too much. So, I decided to create something on my own. I designed a small prototype using a PCB, an LED, and a battery, and put it inside a canister, like a tumbler. At that time, I couldn’t find a better canister, so I used a regular tumbler. I spent around 500 pesos and asked a local electronics shop to help me make the circuit. It was funny because the shop owner kept asking if it was a school project. I told him I had been out of school for almost 5 years, so it wasn’t, but he kept asking. Eventually, I completed the project.

The Missed Opportunity

Personally, I liked it, though I didn’t give it to the girl because it looked odd. I thought that with more improvements, I could sell it. I didn’t want to say I had an entrepreneurial spirit, but I believed that if you like something, you can share it with the world and maybe even sell it.  Then, I considered buying a cheaper canister, adding beautiful flowers, and using an LED to make a more affordable product. However, when I shared my plans with people around me, they questioned why I would sell such an item and who the target customers were.

At my younger age, I felt demotivated because I couldn’t answer those questions, and eventually, I abandoned the project. If no one believed in me, I felt I shouldn’t believe in myself either. After a few months, I threw it away and didn’t think about it. However, after nearly a decade, I saw a similar product on Shopee. I thought, “Wow, that’s the prototype I was working on.”

The Lesson Learned

I don’t claim the idea was mine or that someone stole it, but it’s funny that if I had pushed myself and improved my simple invention, I could have learned more and maybe made some money from it. I learned a valuable lesson: sometimes, listening too much to others can make you miss out on opportunities to learn and improve. That’s why I failed.

The Cautionary Tale

So, here’s a cautionary tale: Whenever you have an idea, no matter how silly or ridiculous it seems, you’ll never know its potential until you try it.

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