2503 Failures and Two TEDx Stages

2503 Failures and Two TEDx Stages

Before the talks, before the stages, before the lights, there were 2503 failed attempts.

That number matters because it explains everything.

Last year, Harry and Nik stood on two TEDx stages to talk about persistence. Not the polished kind people like to post about, but the messy, frustrating, keep going anyway kind. The kind that saw us fail 2503 times trying to turn a plastic bottle into a pair of wearable, repairable eyewear made in Sydney.

In September, we delivered our first talk at TEDxMelbourne at Federation Square as part of the Beyond the Horizon theme. A father and son, sharing the uncomfortable truth that good ideas are common, but sticking with them is rare. The talk centred on one simple belief. The world doesn’t need more ideas. It needs people willing to keep going when the idea keeps breaking.

That first talk is now live. And early this year, our second TEDx talk will be released, building on the same message. Persistence beats polish. Progress comes from showing up again and again, even when it would be easier to stop.

Standing on those stages was never about eyewear. It was about proving that failure is not the opposite of success. It is the path to it. Especially when kids are involved, have a real voice, and refuse to give up on fixing a problem they care deeply about.

2503 attempts later, we’re still going.

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