Why Kids Make the Best Business Partners | Nikolas & Harry Robinson | TEDxSydney

Quick Overview

Nikolas and Harry Robinson argue that failure is integral to innovation, sharing their personal experience of failing 1,000 times before succeeding in turning a 600ml plastic bottle into glasses frames, which they use to illustrate their three-part formula for turning ideas into reality: Purpose, Progress, and Perspective, all underpinned by Belief.

Key Points: Nikolas and Harry Robinson founded a business creating glasses frames from recycled plastic bottles, specifically a 600ml plastic bottle. They failed 1,000 times (Harry states 1,008 times) in their initial attempts to transform the bottle into frames before succeeding. The key to persevering through failure is a three-part formula: Purpose (why we keep showing up), Progress (the little wins that keep us moving), and Perspective (looking at failures with fresh eyes). Belief is the central element that connects Purpose, Progress, and Perspective, driving continued effort. Harry, at seven years old, asked his father for help to save the world from plastic waste, leading to the start of their venture. The duo has collaborated with the Australian government to raise awareness about recycling and is co-writing a curriculum for schools. The presentation emphasizes that failure is not the opposite of success but is embedded in the DNA of all good ideas.

Context: The video features Nikolas Robinson and his son, Harry Robinson, presenting at TEDxSydney about their entrepreneurial journey focused on sustainability and innovation. They discuss the immense number of failures encountered when developing their product—eyeglass frames made from recycled plastic—and introduce a simple three-part framework they use to maintain momentum and overcome obstacles in their pursuit of turning ideas into reality.

Detailed Analysis

Nikolas Robinson, joined by his son Harry, discusses the necessity of failure in realizing innovative ideas, using their experience of recycling plastic bottles into eyeglass frames as the central example. They detail that they failed 1,008 times before successfully turning a 600ml plastic bottle into the frames Nikolas wears. Harry initiated the venture at age seven, driven by a desire to help save the world from plastic waste. Nikolas recounts quitting his job to pursue this, which involved working with the Australian government to raise recycling awareness and co-writing a curriculum for schools. The core message revolves around their '3 Ps' formula for success: Purpose (the reason for showing up), Progress (celebrating small wins), and Perspective (re-evaluating failures with fresh eyes). The intersection of these three elements is Belief, which is essential for maintaining the drive to keep going despite setbacks. They stress that failure is not the opposite of success but is inherent to the process of generating good ideas, urging the audience to look for small wins even when things go wrong, as this prevents becoming overwhelmed.