Apple · Circle · U.S. · Fortune Technology
Simon Sinek says the most successful people in the world ‘hit zero’ or came close to it: Failure is ‘the gift’
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While it may feel as if successful people are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of them, people who have made major career or business accomplishments have also been in the trenches.
Key facts
- But in a 2005 commencement address to the graduating class of Stanford University, Jobs admitted his fear of death ultimately drove his decisions in life and allowed him to overcome fear of failure
- A version of this story was originally published on Fortune.com on October 24, 2025
- His TED Talk was one of the most-watched of all time with more than 60 million views on the TED website alone
- Failure is an essential prerequisite for success, according to a 2019 study by Northwestern University researchers
Summary
In fact, management guru Simon Sinek said all successful people have hit rock bottom before reaching their pinnacle. “I have never met a successful person in my life who learned anything when things went well,” Sinek told Chris Williamson on his podcast, Modern Wisdom. Sinek is most recognized for his 2009 TED Talk about the concept of “why,” and his “Golden Circle” theory, which encourages leaders and organizations to define their core purpose or belief as the basis for inspiring employees and customers. “The most successful people in the world—every single one of them—hit zero or came damn close to it, almost every single time,” he continued.