Strategic Dying: Escaping the Catch-22 Through Calculated Failure

Have you ever found yourself in any of the loops described below??

You need a job to gain work experience, but you need work experience to get a job.

You need a rental history and an address to rent an place, but you first need to rent something to get an address and history.

You need funding to make a high-quality product that will attract users and generate revenue, but you need a high-quality product with a large user base to attract funding.

You need to work long hours to meet deadlines and ship the game, but the constant crunch leads to burnout and decreased productivity.

You work better under pressure, but then the pressure makes it impossible to produce your best work.

It's easy to imagine how someone facing these Catch-22s can end up feeling stuck, frustrated, and start to wondering if success is even possible. It’s hard to follow a path that has no clear outcome in sight. And this is why I want to propose a framework of Strategic Dying.

The term “Catch-22” comes from Joseph Heller's satirical masterpiece, Catch-22, published in 1961, Where a U.S. Air Force airman named Yossarian finds himself trapped in a maddening paradox. He can only be relieved from duty if deemed insane, but requesting to be grounded proves his sanity, thus forcing him to continue flying dangerous missions. Situation in which the very rules designed to help instead lead to an impasse.

What if the key to breaking free from these cycles lies not in avoiding failure at all costs, but in embracing it strategically? What if, by "dying" early and often, we can actually minimise our losses, learn valuable lessons, and ultimately emerge victorious? Since our Catch-22’s are rarely life-or-death situations, and the stakes are negligible by comparison.

The world of game development is a prime example of this principle in action. Creating a successful video game is a complex, expensive, and risky endeavour. But the studios that thrive are often the ones that aren't afraid to fail, and fail fast.

Consider the story of Supercell, the Finnish mobile game developer behind hits like Clash of Clans and Hay Day. Before they became a billion-dollar company, Supercell experienced a string of failures. Their first game, Gunshine.net, never gained traction. Their second, Pets vs Orcs, was released to little fanfare. But rather than doubling down on these struggling games, Supercell made the difficult decision to kill them off quickly.

By "dying" early, Supercell was able to minimise their losses and redirect their resources to new projects. They learned valuable lessons about what resonates with mobile gamers, and used those insights to create games that would captivate millions. Had they stubbornly clung to their early failures, they might never have had the opportunity to create the hits that would define their success.

Similarly, Naughty Dog, known for The Last of Us and Uncharted, has a history of strategic failure. Early in their history, they developed a game called Rings of Power, which was met with mediocre reviews and poor sales. Instead of trying to salvage the game, they pivoted quickly, focusing their energy on the Crash Bandicoot series, which would become a defining franchise for the PlayStation.

Even Nintendo, one of the most iconic names in gaming, has benefited from strategic dying. In the early 2000s, they released the GameCube, a console that struggled to compete with the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Rather than stubbornly sticking with the underperforming platform, Nintendo shifted gears, developing the innovative Wii console, which would go on to sell over 100 million units.

In each of these cases, the key was not avoiding failure, but failing quickly and purposefully. By "dying" early, these companies were able to keep their costs down, learn from their mistakes, and ultimately create products that would redefine their industries.

The same principle applies to our personal lives. Whether we're aspiring entrepreneurs, creative professionals, or simply individuals trying to navigate life's challenges, we all face Catch-22s that can leave us feeling stuck. But by embracing strategic failure, by being willing to "die" a little, we give ourselves the opportunity to learn, grow, and ultimately break free from the cycles that hold us back.

Of course, this isn't to say that we should seek out failure for failure's sake. The goal is calculated failure — the kind that helps us move closer to our ultimate goals. It's about having the courage to take risks, to try new things, knowing that even if we don't succeed right away, we'll be learning and growing in ways that will ultimately make us unstoppable.

So the next time you find yourself stuck in one of life's Catch-22s, remember the power of Strategic Dying. Embrace failure as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and ultimately triumph. Because in the end, it's not the failures that define us, but how we rise from them, stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever to chase our dreams. So go ahead, die a little — it just might be the key to living your best life.