Apparently your voice is now psychologically linked to motivation for me. I listen to Dear Hank and John and Delete This whenever I clean. I save up episodes to motivate myself. Tonight I was incredibly tired but needed to get stuff done. I gave up and decided to catch up on my subscribed videos from today before going to bed but as soon as you started talking my brain woke up and I felt super motivated. I Pavlov'd myself. 😲
I know this sucks right now, but I wanted to say that it's really good that you shared this because I think some people only view you as this guy who has only ever had success and sharing your troubles is actually motivational to people who are thinking of stepping out there and trying something new
This is a great comment. As someone with mega imposter syndrome that often stops me from even trying things in the first place, I sometimes really need to see the behind the scenes of someone's confident.competent exterior.
I've been through kickstarter a couple times and received products that were not as promised or paid for something that they couldn't deliver so they instead gave "in game credits" not worth what I paid. At least I'll be getting what I ordered. Everyone makes mistakes, it's how you handle those mistakes that make or break customer relations. You've got a customer for life in me.
@@notreallysure4575 I was just turning 20 when ToF started, about a decade ago. 😅 My 20s went by in a blink of an eye, ooooh, my. (just made that rhyme up by accident, then thought I'd annotate it as such xD)
You and John have been the only constant in my life so far. I remember the first video I showed my mom and the first video I watched after she died. You guys have been with me through so much. I don’t think I will ever lose trust in vlogbrothers, DFTBA, or anything else you make.
@@KaijaSchmauss Thank you. One of my fondest memories of my mom was in 2008 at the Tour De Nerdfighting, she shook John and Hank's hands and thanked them for helping her raise a thoughtful young woman.
@@reneefuchs9670 that’s really nice of your mom to do. Complementing both you and them at the same time. thanks for sharing and hope things are going well
You should give talks to business students if you don't already dude. Your feelings of personal investment and hands on responsibility for the choices you make and how they affect others are great qualities and they lead to doing great, ethical business.
I would really _really_ love to see a Crash Course Entrepreneurialism or a Business 101 or something from Hank. You see glimpses of it in some of the hankschannel videos that make are valuable, but I would love to have some of it kind of laid out and organized.
I think Truth or Fail would excel as an app that anyone with a smart device could access. I was super excited when you most recently announced it until I realized I would have to find a place around me that purchased it. An app would be really fun. Trivia is the shit.
I backed Wizard School and got the expansion all that time ago and I've only played the game once but I'm still happy I did it, at this point it's like I was a part of nerdfighteria history, I have this piece of something that I can hold in my hands and it can reminds me of when I was 19 and needed nerdfighteria real bad. IDK, it's deffo not a huge success but I'm not mad about it
@@sgt.sweetcheeks - Clearly we all need some sort of Wizard School online community for joining up people who want to play. I'm in Boston, there's got to be someone, somewhere in this city who wants to play.
This is also my problem, I've played like twice because I can't get people interested in playing. Always seems like it's just me who enjoys both the learning phase of playing a game as well as the mastery phase. 🤷
My husband and I play wizard school pretty regularly and it’s super fun. I know this has been a challenging process for Hank, but it’s a super fun game. Totally worth it.
I feel these talks are therapeutic for Hank, as well as therapy for those of us who have similar thoughts / experiences or who are going through similar things. This one is relevant for me right now and was reassuring as I am upending my life and risk of failure is ever present. Failure is so important but still fricken scary tho. We should be comfortable talking about our failures as much as our successes imho.
I'm a backer, and have been waiting, but I'm not upset, I've backed other projects and understand fully the patience that is needed. There is no way I want a refund, I want to complete my 2 sets of Wizard School. And I still wish I'd had the $$ at the time to buy the collectors box that looked sooooooo awesome. I also got to know Karen's artwork and time lapse videos, so that definetly added value for me. Business is tough, manufacturing and logistics is very tough, which is why Kickstarter even became a thing, so nope in my books, esp after this openess, you're a Very Good Bloke, and I'd give you the shirt off my back if you needed it. Thank you Hank for all the things. Would've loooved the new Truth or Fail but unfortunately am not in the finanical of social postion to help and that is what made me sad, that I could help you make things a success.
Have you ever considered that maybe he is just a sanctimonious person pandering to his fans in the hopes to be seen as a good person? He's unhinged on twitter and is part of the whole SJW culture, and has even defended Antifa.
I really appreciate your honesty and vulnerability in this video. A lot of what you said in this video really resonated with me. Especially the feeling of failure when you let people down and the desire to want to make peoples lives better. I’ve struggled with taking those feelings too far and it’s resulted in a really destructive mental state for myself. I’m learning to find the balance in those feelings to help push myself to be better but without tearing myself down. I hope you are also finding that balance in your own life. You do so much good for the world, you are one of my personal role models for how to live my life. I really appreciate the ways that you have improved my life, thank you for that. I look forward to seeing how you will continue to improve and inspire a better world.
I backed the project - I like board games and thought that this was a pretty confident bet. I have yet to play the game, though. Between the delays, not getting everything I ordered in a prompt time, I was largely just kind of deflated on my enthusiasm. I am not, however, regretting my choice. Honestly, the thing that put me over the edge on backing it was that I knew that no matter what, Hank Green would not be someone who would just throw in the towel and keep my money without trying their hardest to make it right. I placed that bet correctly. In the end, as well, admitting that this could've gone better and being forthright and contrite makes me just as likely to back another project.
I'm not like a dedicated player with a community or anything, but I really, really enjoy playing Wizard School. I feel like, if we're talking cosmic scales here, the amount of happiness generated from playing the game outweighs the unhappiness caused by the delays in making it.
I so wanted to participate in truth or fail! The problem is that it required a group of people in real life. Unfortunately I’m in a place where I don’t really have any friends in real life. Sucks but that’s how it is. Thanks for being so transparent, it’s a good reminder of how to deal with failure and keep going.
Oh Hank, I gasped when you said Wizard School! I really love that game, I think it's a lot of fun and beautiful in its complexity. I'm super stoked to get the expansion pack soon, but I'm not sad that it took this long. Maybe I'm biased, but I don't feel let down, I feel like you're actually in solidarity with me about how long things can take sometimes. In fact, it's great timing for me in a way... I haven't played it in a while because for the past few months I've been depressed and reclusive thanks to my own feelings of failure. Recieving Hank's Dirty Little Secrets could motivate me to get friends together to play again!
UA-cam, year 2035. Hank makes a video called "I'm sorry Truth or Fail: The Recipe Book didn't work out." XD (I loved the original Truth of Fail btw Hank. Yup. I'm that "old".)
So two things as someone who plays a ton of board games, I thoroughly enjoy wizard school because it has cooperative depth but with a really fun aesthetic. The difficulty/learning curve was surprising but it's fun. Secondly Ive been working in the event space for about 6 years... I've worked on shows from Dreamforce which is too big to tiny 400 person managers meetings and yeah. I've gone to nerdcon:Nerdfighteria and podcon and the reason you're the only event I personally, financially contribute to is the community. So the fact you're being so thoughtful is great and why I always feel comfortable throwing money at something you're trying out. Anyway try to be kind to yourself
Your biggest failure is missing a deadline? Hank, we see all the many things you do, and the many good things you do to decrease world suck. Let's not forget that you did get a book published in that time as well! It seems like you are just frustrated with all you have going on, and despite it all you are doing quite well. There is a very strong faith of you in your fan base; we definitely still trust you. DFTBA!
Have you ever considered releasing official or unofficial versions of DFTBA games on Tabletop Simulator? It's definitely effort to have the cards mapped onto 3D models. But as someone who has basically no friends who live near them, but LOADS of friends who would play games like that online if they were on the platform we used, it sounds like a really easy method to potentially market something like ROLF. And it becomes evergreen, and requires no manufacturing, so that's a big plus!
Hank, this was one of my favorite videos of you in 10+ years. Explaining the pressures of deciding on what projects to pursue and figuring out your responsibility to the employees as a business owner and to your audience as a youtuber. Might be just because where I am now,but it resonated. BTW I started watching vlogbrothers because of truth or fail! :D
The new truth or fail format was interesting to me, in that it was a thing that came up at all. When it was announced I instinctively felt like it wouldn’t work out, at least based on British pub quiz culture, I don’t remember if I commented at the time or not to avoid negativity. In my experience of pub quizzes, a lot of the fun is in some random bloke setting the questions with the occasional controversial answer and having questions tailored to that particular event or area, it all being a bit unprofessional in its own way. I wouldn’t personally care for questions set by some organisation and honestly, I definitely wouldn’t care for video questions from anyone, whether someone I know and admire or some seemingly random person (which is how I’m guessing most people outside Nerdfighteria would see it). I WAS however massively on board with the idea of having the questions show up on screens but any pub etc with screens could easily organise that themselves. I just don’t think the pub quiz world needed outsiders coming in with their ideas and their questions.
Man...after watching this video I wish that I could give you a hug. You really seem like you could do with a hug. As a backer of Wizard School I have to say that I'm very proud of what you've done and that you never gave up on it. It was my first kickstarter for me and it was not a disappointment. You never gave up, you kept us updated and for me at least I knew that you hadn't forgot us. And if you had, that's the risk of a kickstarter for us investing. I hope that with the results of WS and Truth or Fail that you don't give up on DFTBAGames. I think that it's a 'wonderful' concept and as someone who adores board games I have the uttermost trust in you to create something that you and your team have put your heart and soul into. To anyone who thinks that your video content is made "just to sell card games" don't truly understand what it is that you're trying to do and that's a shame for them. I've always admired your hard work and your passion for creating new and amazing content. Please takes these as learning opportunities and to never give up and to don't let these "failures" make you doubt yourself when you have an awesome idea. I hope to see more from DFTBAGames and more successes from you. And (let's not call them) failures. Because you just dust yourself off and get back to it. Thank you for opening up and I can't wait to see what the new Wizard School Expansion is.
For a (kind of) apology video, it looks like any other one of his videos, and Hank talks like he normally does on this channel. Maybe it just feels weird to me bc of beauty guru apology videos. I think if hank is just projecting authenticity, he’s at least doing it really well.
I am a backer of Wizard School, and still play it every so often! (Can't wait to get the expansion!!) After all these years, I still love the art and because it's the first cooperative game in my (now much bigger) collection of boardgames, it'll always have a special place in my heart. I just want to say that it's alright. Life happens. And whilst I'd be lying if I'd say that I've kept all my trust in you over these years, this video definitely makes up for all of the uncertainty we went through. I still love you and all the things you've been doing, so please continue and DFTBA!
Of course it is! It is really interesting to hear about how things are being developed and how much pressure it is on the person that has to organise everything.
I super love Wizard School, and the stories you can tell with it, but sometimes when it drags or we have to house rule a card so the game doesn't break, you can tell it was a kickstarter created game. It is the art and the concept, plus the fact that it's a co-op game, so it's relatively low-stress, that keeps me coming back to it.
8th year, three years ago… wow sci show has been killing it. I’ve grown up with it, it’s changed who I am as a person and how much I knew. I’m not too far along anywhere yet, but in early highschool I was failing classes and at such a low point, now I’m still pretty low but I have curiosity and I tutor STEM for my college while I finish my degree with straight A’s, I hope to get a job at nasa eventually and scishow and scishowspace (among other great channels like PBS spacetime) are mainly to thank for that. It’s been such a long journey, and it will continue to be for me. Thanks Hank, if you ever see this. As a tutor I am starting to understand how you feel and I know better than most how much of a tough feeling it is to let down people who come to you for learning and have some level of trust. If it’s worth anything, I think you’re great Hank.
Hank, you and John have created an entire, long lasting community based around happiness and kindness. You have built trust and reliability far more times than you have disappointed anyone. I grew up watching you guys and I'm still here, a good decade after I started watching, excited to see what you will do next. I hope you know that your desire to make people happy has never gone unnoticed and has always been appreciated. Thanks for everything you do
I appreciate your positive attitude more than anything. Regardless of how you define success or failure what's most important is how you react to either one, and I think that's the arena where you personally shine brightest. Keep it up, and I can't wait until I get to see my card in action :D
Hank. I was a Wizard School backer. Thanks for helping make it. I don't really care that you think it is a failure, though I understand why you do. I'm just glad it exists.
I've played wizard school maybe three times since I got it, and each time there has been at least one person new to the game, but it's a kind of nice way to bond with friends over struggling to figure out the rules and what's going on and all that. I bought the game because I love Karen Hallion's artwork, and I agree the game is absolutely gorgeous. I'm glad I got it; absolutely zero regrets.
This video is so good! I've been struggling with failure lately and it does weigh on your mind while you're trying to take care of it and it's hard to move on/work on other things while that's happening. I'm struggling to finish something that's over a year late and I feel like it's mentally getting in the way of me creating other things.
I LOVE WIZARD SCHOOL except that I have a two year old and not much time to play games, but I have enjoyed it a bunch. Also I miss the interactive Truth or Fail videos.
I ordered wizard school and the expansion when I was in high school and I'm glad that I'll be getting it by the time I graduate college lol. But seriously Hank, thanks for sharing your struggles.
First off - thanks for posting this. There’s something really encouraging in seeing that people you look up to a) fail sometimes and b) how they handle it. Listening to the way you talk about things you think are successful and how you categories failures I can’t help feeling like there’s a massive difference between looking at a risk that didn’t pay off and thinking “it failed” as opposed to “I failed”. It’s something I’m terrible at - I internalise failure endlessly - and I like the idea that the balance is in trying to improve other people’s lives. Also it means so much that you do think/worry about letting this community down, and how we perceive you. I never have any doubt that you (and John) genuinely care about nerdfightaria, or that you’re taking advantage of it to sell stuff. I never feel any pressure to buy something just because it has your name on it, which is so not the case in other corners of the internet. It doesn’t ever feel like if I don’t spend only on every single thing you are working on I can’t be part of this community any more. It just feels like you’re doing cool things you’re excited about, and I get to hear about them. Sorry. This has been waffley... but basically I’m grateful for you sharing and the way you do things.
The way you handle your failures is really mature and self aware and very inspiring. I really like your perspective that monetary value/societal views does not constitute success. I'm currently digging myself out of my own version of failure and am having a rough time lately. This video really helped me today. Thank you.
If a relationship ends, it might have failed, but as long as both people are better for it I would say it was a success. I also think feeling like I didn't deliver what I could have in a performance or didn't put together a good show, that always gets to me so much more than whether it went into the red. Thanks for this video.
I am usually among the quiet nerdfighters but videos like this make me come out of my shell and into the UA-cam comment section. Hank, thank you! For everything that you have done over the years (when you mentioned the original truth or fail I suddenly felt very old) thank you! Crash course has helped me immensely over the years not only to pass tests but to widen the picture of this beautiful world of ours. And vlogbrothers has both entertained and informed me in so many ways and I will be forever grateful for that. Finally, I want to thank you for your amazing book. I honestly did not expect to fall in love with it the way I did. And thank you for this video, talking about failures is so hard and seeing someone you hold in such a high esteem do it so gracefully is truly inspiring. Hope there is someone to give you a hug, you seem to need it. DFTBA
So... I struggle A LOT with failure and my anxiety around it and honestly this video REALLY made me feel better and really appreciate you sharing this with us! This hopefully will help with my anxiety around failure and maybe I can tackle some of my own goals and plans!
I remember when I first came to this community, and I felt like I had so many things to catch up on, but now I feel like I’ve been here forever after 10 years.
The game is fun even if it's a little difficult. I still want my expansion because (as you said) the Art and Design is beautiful! Also, I appreciate the apology. There seems to be very little, if any, accountability in life anymore and I'm glad you have the shame and integrity to accept it and do something about it. I have no regrets in supporting Wizard School, it sounded like a great game and I wanted to see it in my hands. I'm looking forward to having my complete set! Thanks for being a good human Hank.
I don't think anyone doubts that anything you make/sell to the community is for the community and not for profit. You have created so many incredible things and brought so much joy and jobs to people (I still play my Evil Baby Orphanage and love it so much - literally can't even begin to list all the great things I've gotten from the DFTBA shop and the nerdfighter community in general ). It's impossible to do everything perfectly and I'm sure this game will still be fun and cherished by many people despite the setbacks that are understandably human. Looking forward to attending PodCon for the first time!!
Also I will say that you (and John) have been very thoughtful and authentic in building out the community and people who are in the community are really invested in the community, not just blind audience followers who will buy anything you sell and defend your every word/action. So I don't think you have to feel guilty that you somehow mislead people, because people who bought the game are genuinely excited by the concept of the game (not just bc you're affiliated with it), and also I think people understand the nature of Kickstarter is that the creation/production process can often get delayed and that's why they're funding it on Kickstarter not just buying it off a website when it's ready and AT LEAST YOU WEREN'T TRYING TO SELL POTATO SALAD LOL.
Please be aware that most things that the Hank/John companies sell are very much for profit. They are also for community benefit and do bring happiness. But please do not believe that either Hank or John is not profiting from sales.
@@bellboots Yes, that's fair. Of course, they would be (and have every right to be) interested in profits and do make money from things they sell. I just meant from my perspective I don't see it as their primary goal (aka they're not just trying to make a profit without delivering on a valuable product).
This inspired me to keep working on my own projects. Even with the fear of failure, if I can finish something then I can finish other things and maybe with one project I'll make something others enjoy.
I really value everything you said about feeling a responsibility to and sometimes for a community and not wanting to let them down, as well as your willingness to admit that you've had missteps but you've learned from them. Kinda reminds me of this really amazing book I read this fall about a twenty-something young woman and fame and also aliens making contact with humans... man, I wish I could remember the title or the author or something...
For what it’s worth, every person I show Wizard School to LOVES it. It’s one of my favorite games on my shelf and I play it with my roommates frequently. The design is beautiful, it plays well, and the fact that there’s an expansion coming makes it exciting. I backed the project back when it was new and I have never regretted it one bit. I know this is a frustrating setback, but I hope it makes you feel at least a tiny bit better to know that a bunch of Chicago nerds love the shit out of your game.
Can always admire someone who can admit their mistakes and failures. I'm sad it didn't work out but I'm glad you've worked through it and can overcome it. Onto the next thing!
Thanks for this! Gives some perspective on successes and failures. To just put your best foot forward and accept that there will be hits and misses, is something I have yet to learn. You're a good role model Hank.
This is why I support you whenever I am able. I believe that you believe in integrity and value Nerdfighteria above just our money. You published this on my 19th birthday and it was something I needed to hear as a lot of interviews/applications/etc are coming up that I may or may not fail at. Seeing a successful and kind and thoughtful person speak on failure puts my fear of it at ease. Thank you, Hank. (PS: I drove HOURS and saw you live in Kansas City for the first time in my LIFE this year, and that was worth every penny and more.)
This video actually helped me realize I need to take more risks because of exactly what you said. You will gain new experiences and meet new people even if you fail. Thanks, Hank.
I'm a backer, and I don't mind waiting patiently for the expansion. I supported Wizard School primarily to support you. I trust in your intentions and that any delays or setbacks are not malicious. I waited about this long (three years?) for my P4A hankschannel video. Before that, I waited nine months for my P4A vlogbrothers video. I know you're incredibly busy, you take on a zillion different projects, and you wrote a freaking bestselling book. Communication with your audience is greatly appreciated and sometimes necessary for customer service reasons, but ultimately you do the best you can, and that's all anyone (including yourself) can ask of you.
As a backer of this and most of your projects through many years, I want you to keep trying new things so whenever you launch a project I love to support you. Wizard School was too complicated for me to play after a few attempts, but I love so many of your other projects, they can't all be winners. Keep trying things, keep bringing the wonderfully weird into my life, DFTBA.
I love this perspective of a creator who isn't afraid of trying new things and approaches and "failing" in these experiments, while not feeling like a failure. Instead, it seems like you just view it as knowledge gained. Quite lovely =) You are so genuine and true to your audience. The fact that you respect your subscriber base so much that you don't want us to think you are leveraging your sway on us only gives me more confidence in you. Keep on keeping on, Hank!
As a current backer of Blood on the Clocktower...this happens all the time. If your backers are board gamers, they’re used to it. For me, Kickstarter games are gifts I buy for future me and then don’t think about until the day that it magically becomes Christmas.
My favorite thing about Hank's business model(?) is that it's not about the money. It's not about the brand. It's about making people happy. It's about having fun. It's about decreasing world suck. I wish I knew more companies like this.
That ending... Whoa dude, I guess I am okay. Trying to do 'the thing' right is more pertinent. Pursuing an honest and ethical business (UA-camr, and crew) really sounds like it could be quite challenging. The frankness of the channel is appreciated.
I love seeing this more vulnerable side of Hank. As an outsider looking in, I always think of DFTBA and Complexly as these thriving entities that do no wrong, and yes there's moments where you're not thriving due to like funds, popularity, etc., but I've always thought of it as that, like nul moments. Not the word failure. Failure is such a strong word to use with business and in life in general. And it could be my Rose colored glasses looking at this company/group/people that I admire so much, but it says a lot about your character, that the failure was more in loss of trust more than the actual failure of the product.
I love your content for so many reasons but primarily it's for being entertaining and setting a good example at the same time which can be hard to do. I'm usually attracted to more dramatic videos where people get very emotional and blame everyone around them and it can be funny/interesting in the moment but doesn't actually help me understand how to respond to my own failures. This is helpful, you aren't solely being optimistic about the learning experience and you aren't trying to blame your peers. I see someone intelligent who can see a situation objectively despite all the emotion and backstory behind it. That is something I want to strive for.
You're an inspiration to a lot of people. A good one. The next time you feel like something failed, remember we all consider you successful regardless. Also, thanks for making these relatable videos, it's really nice.
I'm at a crossroads with business venture I'm trying to start and having a lot of doubts. Thanks for sharing your experience, it's good to hear from someone with more experience than me.
Man, I'm Immeasurably grateful for crashcurse. You have NO IDEA. I mean... I'm 25 and it changed me. The whole idea. Man. I've learned so so so much. I CAN'T thank you enough.
A thing i learned recently about failure on a personal scale, like in terms of individual goals. You've only failed when you give up. I've been doing art my whole life, but i could never get into digital art so i kind of get ignored. I thought i was a failure, since no one cared about the art i was making, but recently I've been switching gears from painting to sculpture and reevaluating what success means. In today's social media world, success seems to be measured in amount of likes and views, and it is really hard to get away from that. But I'm trying, and it really has helped. So the important thing, for me at least, is to keep trying. Certain projects will flop, but all you can do is learn from it and move on and try again.
The business can fail without you being a failure, or it can fail at one goal without failing at another. Listening to you I was literally almost brought to tears because God I wish there were more people in the world who prioritized creativity and people and joy and passion over money. Of course businesses have to work to be sustainable and you are in a position to take these risks, and lots of people aren't in those positions, but also lots of people are, and they prioritize more money anyway. Honestly I love you a lot Hank and you make me so happy and I'm so happy I found Vlogbrothers all those years ago and I just got a fancy sales job but when I agreed to be hired I told them I wouldn't lie to customers to sell stuff because, like you, people are important to me, and letting people down feels not good.
When I get close to deadlines, or miss deadlines, I get this anxiety shame-spiral feeling, where I should have done it by now, and what's even held me up, I can't turn in this half-assed job that I plainly didn't even start until now, ahhhhh, ahhhhhhhh, all the stuff you said at 11:00ish on, ahhhh, . So I've never really been mad about not having the expansion (I have 2-3 kickstarters that I never got anything from and one that has been "coming soon" for far longer than yours). And I kindof figured you were secretly tearing yourself up inside and just thinking disappointed thoughts about it would make you feel even worse. This idea of having this public admission is kindof terrifying for me. So thumbs-up to you! I will try to keep the stuff from 13:00 in mind for my own next failures, that it's not the end of the world and I can fail forward. (As an aside, It's very weird, as a person who watches sci-show/crash course but not generally your personal channel, to hear you say "fuck". Kindof weirder than the first time a college professor said it in class. Not judging! Indeed, fuck those people!) *I* really like Wizard School. I got in a little bit of trouble at work for bringing it for the team to play and we got loud and other teams complained. But I forgive you for getting me in trouble. ;)
Hank, I've been listening to your various podcasts for 2-3 years and I've been watching vlogbrothers for 11(!) years now and both have added an enormous amount of value to my life. Also, thanks to you I'm now going to my first con ever (Podcon!) this month!
We know you are working really hard, Hank. If a there's a group of creators out there that really cares about their people,u guys are def part of it. We care about u too; people like what u do, it's going to be ok, we love u💕, keep being awesome ( even though u may not feel like it) we just know that u are trying hard, and u know that that really counts for something.
Thank you for this. And thank you for Wizard School. If i'm being perfectly honest, i still actually haven't played it in part because it's complicated out of the box (also partly because i've been moving around a lot since i got it), but i'm ok with that. I backed the kickstarter because i believe in the things that dftba and complexly do, and i want to see you try more things. Sometimes they don't work the way you expected, and sometimes they don't work at all, and that's ok. I am happy i was able to help you try this thing, and like you said, even if it didn't "work", you learned from it and the next thing you make will be better for that experience.
I'm studying mass media right now, and we talk a LOT about time as a commodity and about audience loyalty since it's so complicated and ultimately unknown. As I move into the new year, my big word is "intentional," and I'm trying to dump habits, people, etc. that are a waste of my time or energy by analyzing why I spend my time on the things I do and choosing the things that align with my values. I think this video gave me the answer to the second reason I continue to watch the vlogbrothers 4 years later (the first being the way you two value nuance of an issue over digestible, click-bait-y, outrage-generating soundbites): the TLDR of this video is: "This thing lost money and that sucks for our company, but I consider it a failure because it made people sad" and that level of empathy from someone with as much social and economic power as Hank Green is something that resonates with my values so much.
Thank-you for discussing failure. I think it would be a great exercise (for us all) to do on a regular basis. As for the game, I'm glad you produced this extension. We'll give it another try with only good feelings. The let-down by a Green brother was hard to accept, and took away any pleasure we has as we tried to play the game. So I am VERY grateful for this "coming to terms". Let's get a calendar!
Thanks for being honest Hank. It is appreciated. I really enjoyed the game, but I also like learning more complicated games with lots of rules. It was definitely confusing sometimes. I am really looking forward to getting the expansion. Thanks again, for being honest and for admitting to failure. It can't always be easy to do. I do feel a bit let down, but I'll move on. I'm still going to support you because I think that you can pull a thing like this off if you do it again.
thank you for sharing and being honest. it is interesting, and also educational. it shows that your "business" is not "making loads of money" but creating things that gives people happiness, may it be a boardgame or scishow with all its glorious offshoots. i really appreciate that glimpse you gave me into your reasoning or motivation. i once participated in an entrepreneurship project for sustainable green energy, way back when i was at university. it never really crossed my mind to think of business as more than "making money" - because that´s not really what i am interested in. you showed, what else business can and does mean. thank you!
It's ok. I've moved house twice and acquired a grandchild whilst waiting, so it's not like I've been waiting impatiently - I've been busy! I look forward to seeing (and playing) the expansion - please do not continue to beat yourself up about this - life happens, things don't go to plan, and you cannot please everyone. Be proud of what you have achieved, take stock of what you've learned, and know you did what you could do. All good. :) x
Hey Hank, real talk time my friend.... I am a tabletop game fan and I have a decent collection. I have backed dozens of games on Kickstarter, so Wizard School was an insta-back for me. If there's one constant among Kickstarter games its that they will always - ALWAYS - be delayed. Sometimes years. That, in itself, for people who know how this goes, is honestly not a big deal. The difference between projects that don't frustrate people and the ones that do is communication. And that was the only source of ire for me with Wizard School, especially because you're such a gifted communicator and you could have made something really special out of bringing your backers in to the process with all its hairiness. Wizard School is a fun game! It could be streamlined a little and the rule book could be tightened up. But that brings me to the other thing that I wanted to mention - Board Game Geek. It's a whole large community of folks who play lots and lots of fantastic games, many of us who no doubt are also Nerdfighters. Leverage this community of expertise! Check out the BGG page for the game and be involved (or designate someone). If you ever want to consider re-vamping / re-launching the game (and I really hope you do), please find game enthusiasts to playtest it to death. Thanks for your transparency and authenticity. This is why I love you (in a non-creepy, appropriate affection for a favorite creator way) so much. Come back to games like WS. More, please.
I admire you so much. And as a long-time nerdfighter, I can safely say that I've never been let down or disillusioned by you or this community in the way you are afraid of. It's like having a friend. I'm not going to judge my friend for trying to make money, nor be disappointed in them when they fail a project. It's just part of life. Also, Truth or Fail was awesome while it lasted, but I think it's okay for it to just be a fun thing that happened in the past. Just, don't stress.
Thanks for the honesty and the insight. Particularly interested in what you said about not wanting to leverage the community’s trust. Honestly that seems kind of fundamental to UA-cam, and maybe entertainment as a business. I’d be curious to hear more of how you manage that.
I've enjoyed playing Wizard school... but I don't bust it out at game nights often due to the complexity. I did genuinely think it fun. I appreciate seeing your self reflection on the whole thing and look forward to getting the expansion pack. There is a risk to kickstarter, so a delayed fulfillment is still a success in my eyes. :)
I did back Wizard School, and I did trust you. I watched you and John in high school, and ordered that game as an undergrad. I had put you on a pedestal, so I was upset when things were so delayed. I thought that there was a chance that I had been a stupid backer and thrown money away, and that I had been stupid to trust you. Now I'm in grad school, and I've played Wizard School a bunch over the years. I'm not upset anymore, and I wanted to let you know that I do trust you again. I just don't hold you to an unfair standard. I'm glad you are open about this struggle. It makes me feel better about the times I've missed deadlines or let someone down.
Hank, your value as a content provider is unwaivered in my eyes. Your adventures in the world and your companies make the world a better place. We love you.
Hi, I think people backing things on kickstarter know that is might be a very long time before a product exists, but also I just wanted you to know that I haven't lost faith in you, I don't see you as someone I count on to always "succeed" and provide an excellent service, I see you as someone who is always trying their hardest at a hundred different things and those things are to make a better world in some way, not for personal glory - and no one could ever ask for more. Thank you for all that you do.
So, truthfully, I had forgotten that I hadn't received the Hank expansion of my Wizard's School game. (which I do still kinda want) Also, honestly, I've only watched your instructional video for it once, and it was so intimidating that I haven't even tried to play the game. What I can tell you is that you haven't lost my trust. I don't particularly care about the game or the kickstarter or the fulfillment of promises. I see what you and John do with the money your companies receives. I know the good you are doing in the world. I point people toward your channels and endeavors because I believe, with all of being, in what you and John do. So yeah, things get fucked up sometimes, and I completely understand your personal frustration with it, but I appreciate you so much for being you. For being transparent. For being a light in the darkness.
Dear Hank -- thank you for your vulnerability and honesty. It's very clear that you take your responsibility seriously while also having compassion for your team and yourself. Maybe it would be best to hand Truth or Fail and other solid projects that are in the periphery of your influence off to people who are more inmeshed in that market. Delegating hurts because it's your creation and vision -- it's an act of faith and trust. But I bet there's someone in your community or Nerdfighteria who could take these projects to their full fruition while still including your input.
Hey! Commenter from 2020 here and although it was a commercial "failure", we still play Wizard School in my house and love it deeply. Thank you for making it.
It's always disappointing when we don't accomplish things how we set out to do. You learn from what you did and move on. You do so many amazing things for yourself and so many other people. give yourself the grace to accept and move forward with what you know now.
this is the thing you want to talk!!!! Hank you shall not be sorry for things you can't control. You did the best for everyone and failure is a way to learn, sadly.
I've been a backer the whole time. Ever time I get an email update I go "Oh yeah, that thing". That's actually how I ended up here. I didn't do the refund because honestly, it doesn't seam worth it to me. I will eventually get the product that obviously didn't hurt me for money because I don't even remember what I had paid for it. Then, I'll get to be part of a small amount of people that can say "I waited years for this product." It's kind of a community experience.
You are an incalculable caring person Hank and as I'm sure you know caring too much can drive you insane, and I can't offer any advice on the subject that you haven't heard already or that is almost entirely useless like 'try not to be so hard on yourself' but what I can say is I, and I'm sure many many others, appreciate how much you care
what strikes me about this conversation is how much hank cares about his consumers - things don't always work out and when you've got as many projects on the go as he does there's bound to be some that don't work out as well- but thinking and reflecting this deeply on the problems and failures gives them value and I'm looking forward to seeing what new stuff comes out in the future 😊
PIZZAMAS CALENDAR: store.dftba.com/collections/all/products/2019-pizzamas-calendar
Pin this?
Just out of curiosity, how many are too many? :D
@@Bursykovski I think we ordered 3000 and we've sold like 2500.
Who are you and why are you here
Dang $5 shipping for a calendar got me.
Apparently your voice is now psychologically linked to motivation for me.
I listen to Dear Hank and John and Delete This whenever I clean. I save up episodes to motivate myself. Tonight I was incredibly tired but needed to get stuff done. I gave up and decided to catch up on my subscribed videos from today before going to bed but as soon as you started talking my brain woke up and I felt super motivated. I Pavlov'd myself. 😲
It's still easier to understand than _The Cones of Dunshire._
I call ledgerman!
IT'S ABOUT THE CONES!!!!
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The Cones of Dunshire had an expansion too! The Winds of Tremorrah!!
I know this sucks right now, but I wanted to say that it's really good that you shared this because I think some people only view you as this guy who has only ever had success and sharing your troubles is actually motivational to people who are thinking of stepping out there and trying something new
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This is a great comment. As someone with mega imposter syndrome that often stops me from even trying things in the first place, I sometimes really need to see the behind the scenes of someone's confident.competent exterior.
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I've been through kickstarter a couple times and received products that were not as promised or paid for something that they couldn't deliver so they instead gave "in game credits" not worth what I paid. At least I'll be getting what I ordered. Everyone makes mistakes, it's how you handle those mistakes that make or break customer relations. You've got a customer for life in me.
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I remember what the original truth or fail is, Hank am I old?
So old.
I remember it too, but that's because I've gone back and watched the old videos.
@@hankschannel im soooo old i just turned 20 a month ago
oh god. same. we can be old together.
@@notreallysure4575 I was just turning 20 when ToF started, about a decade ago. 😅
My 20s went by
in a blink of an eye,
ooooh, my.
(just made that rhyme up by accident, then thought I'd annotate it as such xD)
You and John have been the only constant in my life so far. I remember the first video I showed my mom and the first video I watched after she died. You guys have been with me through so much. I don’t think I will ever lose trust in vlogbrothers, DFTBA, or anything else you make.
+ I'm so sorry for your loss.
@@KaijaSchmauss Thank you. One of my fondest memories of my mom was in 2008 at the Tour De Nerdfighting, she shook John and Hank's hands and thanked them for helping her raise a thoughtful young woman.
@@reneefuchs9670 that’s really nice of your mom to do. Complementing both you and them at the same time. thanks for sharing and hope things are going well
You should give talks to business students if you don't already dude. Your feelings of personal investment and hands on responsibility for the choices you make and how they affect others are great qualities and they lead to doing great, ethical business.
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I would really _really_ love to see a Crash Course Entrepreneurialism or a Business 101 or something from Hank. You see glimpses of it in some of the hankschannel videos that make are valuable, but I would love to have some of it kind of laid out and organized.
@@RainaRamsay I think this would be amazing
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I think Truth or Fail would excel as an app that anyone with a smart device could access. I was super excited when you most recently announced it until I realized I would have to find a place around me that purchased it. An app would be really fun. Trivia is the shit.
I backed Wizard School and got the expansion all that time ago and I've only played the game once but I'm still happy I did it, at this point it's like I was a part of nerdfighteria history, I have this piece of something that I can hold in my hands and it can reminds me of when I was 19 and needed nerdfighteria real bad.
IDK, it's deffo not a huge success but I'm not mad about it
The fact I only played the game isn't a comment on the quality of the game, it's more a comment on the quality of my friends
@@sgt.sweetcheeks - Clearly we all need some sort of Wizard School online community for joining up people who want to play. I'm in Boston, there's got to be someone, somewhere in this city who wants to play.
This is also my problem, I've played like twice because I can't get people interested in playing. Always seems like it's just me who enjoys both the learning phase of playing a game as well as the mastery phase. 🤷
My husband and I play wizard school pretty regularly and it’s super fun. I know this has been a challenging process for Hank, but it’s a super fun game. Totally worth it.
YAAAAY!!!!
I REMEMBER TRUTH OR FAIL
Show me another CEO that would post a video like this. I’ll wait 🤷🏻♀️
Rachell McNary-Anderson +
Never thought about like this
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Rachell McNary-Anderson +
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I feel these talks are therapeutic for Hank, as well as therapy for those of us who have similar thoughts / experiences or who are going through similar things. This one is relevant for me right now and was reassuring as I am upending my life and risk of failure is ever present. Failure is so important but still fricken scary tho. We should be comfortable talking about our failures as much as our successes imho.
I think the 20 seconds from 11:25 to 11:45 contain as much swearing as I've ever heard from you everywhere else combined
You must not follow me on Twitter :-)
Hank swears like a sailor.
Ever heard of I fucking love science?
One of my favourite songs!
Ever heard of delete this?
I think Hank only swears to emphasize the importance of a point. Right?
Or am I wrong?
I'm a backer, and have been waiting, but I'm not upset, I've backed other projects and understand fully the patience that is needed. There is no way I want a refund, I want to complete my 2 sets of Wizard School. And I still wish I'd had the $$ at the time to buy the collectors box that looked sooooooo awesome. I also got to know Karen's artwork and time lapse videos, so that definetly added value for me. Business is tough, manufacturing and logistics is very tough, which is why Kickstarter even became a thing, so nope in my books, esp after this openess, you're a Very Good Bloke, and I'd give you the shirt off my back if you needed it. Thank you Hank for all the things. Would've loooved the new Truth or Fail but unfortunately am not in the finanical of social postion to help and that is what made me sad, that I could help you make things a success.
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Every so often when I watch these videos I just realize hank is such a good person.
I watch these videos because Hank is a good person and I want to be reminded that there are good people like this in the world
Same
Have you ever considered that maybe he is just a sanctimonious person pandering to his fans in the hopes to be seen as a good person? He's unhinged on twitter and is part of the whole SJW culture, and has even defended Antifa.
@@EasyCartoonDrawingTutorials No I have never considered this and don't intend to
HowToDrawEmAll just because someone doesn’t agree with you politically doesn’t mean that the good they put out is some kind of conspiracy
I really appreciate your honesty and vulnerability in this video. A lot of what you said in this video really resonated with me. Especially the feeling of failure when you let people down and the desire to want to make peoples lives better. I’ve struggled with taking those feelings too far and it’s resulted in a really destructive mental state for myself. I’m learning to find the balance in those feelings to help push myself to be better but without tearing myself down. I hope you are also finding that balance in your own life. You do so much good for the world, you are one of my personal role models for how to live my life. I really appreciate the ways that you have improved my life, thank you for that. I look forward to seeing how you will continue to improve and inspire a better world.
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I backed the project - I like board games and thought that this was a pretty confident bet. I have yet to play the game, though. Between the delays, not getting everything I ordered in a prompt time, I was largely just kind of deflated on my enthusiasm.
I am not, however, regretting my choice. Honestly, the thing that put me over the edge on backing it was that I knew that no matter what, Hank Green would not be someone who would just throw in the towel and keep my money without trying their hardest to make it right. I placed that bet correctly. In the end, as well, admitting that this could've gone better and being forthright and contrite makes me just as likely to back another project.
I'm not like a dedicated player with a community or anything, but I really, really enjoy playing Wizard School. I feel like, if we're talking cosmic scales here, the amount of happiness generated from playing the game outweighs the unhappiness caused by the delays in making it.
I so wanted to participate in truth or fail! The problem is that it required a group of people in real life. Unfortunately I’m in a place where I don’t really have any friends in real life. Sucks but that’s how it is. Thanks for being so transparent, it’s a good reminder of how to deal with failure and keep going.
There could be a space for a web chat/skype style thing with truth or fail
Oh Hank, I gasped when you said Wizard School! I really love that game, I think it's a lot of fun and beautiful in its complexity. I'm super stoked to get the expansion pack soon, but I'm not sad that it took this long. Maybe I'm biased, but I don't feel let down, I feel like you're actually in solidarity with me about how long things can take sometimes.
In fact, it's great timing for me in a way... I haven't played it in a while because for the past few months I've been depressed and reclusive thanks to my own feelings of failure. Recieving Hank's Dirty Little Secrets could motivate me to get friends together to play again!
UA-cam, year 2035. Hank makes a video called "I'm sorry Truth or Fail: The Recipe Book didn't work out." XD
(I loved the original Truth of Fail btw Hank. Yup. I'm that "old".)
So two things as someone who plays a ton of board games, I thoroughly enjoy wizard school because it has cooperative depth but with a really fun aesthetic. The difficulty/learning curve was surprising but it's fun. Secondly Ive been working in the event space for about 6 years... I've worked on shows from Dreamforce which is too big to tiny 400 person managers meetings and yeah. I've gone to nerdcon:Nerdfighteria and podcon and the reason you're the only event I personally, financially contribute to is the community. So the fact you're being so thoughtful is great and why I always feel comfortable throwing money at something you're trying out. Anyway try to be kind to yourself
Grab the market by its... lapels
They have to put 11:41 in the next Rewind
"Fuckin' UA-cam, man. This place is fuckin' wild!" will be next year's "Aw! That's hot!"
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Your biggest failure is missing a deadline? Hank, we see all the many things you do, and the many good things you do to decrease world suck. Let's not forget that you did get a book published in that time as well! It seems like you are just frustrated with all you have going on, and despite it all you are doing quite well. There is a very strong faith of you in your fan base; we definitely still trust you. DFTBA!
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Have you ever considered releasing official or unofficial versions of DFTBA games on Tabletop Simulator? It's definitely effort to have the cards mapped onto 3D models. But as someone who has basically no friends who live near them, but LOADS of friends who would play games like that online if they were on the platform we used, it sounds like a really easy method to potentially market something like ROLF. And it becomes evergreen, and requires no manufacturing, so that's a big plus!
Hank, this was one of my favorite videos of you in 10+ years. Explaining the pressures of deciding on what projects to pursue and figuring out your responsibility to the employees as a business owner and to your audience as a youtuber. Might be just because where I am now,but it resonated. BTW I started watching vlogbrothers because of truth or fail! :D
The new truth or fail format was interesting to me, in that it was a thing that came up at all. When it was announced I instinctively felt like it wouldn’t work out, at least based on British pub quiz culture, I don’t remember if I commented at the time or not to avoid negativity. In my experience of pub quizzes, a lot of the fun is in some random bloke setting the questions with the occasional controversial answer and having questions tailored to that particular event or area, it all being a bit unprofessional in its own way. I wouldn’t personally care for questions set by some organisation and honestly, I definitely wouldn’t care for video questions from anyone, whether someone I know and admire or some seemingly random person (which is how I’m guessing most people outside Nerdfighteria would see it). I WAS however massively on board with the idea of having the questions show up on screens but any pub etc with screens could easily organise that themselves. I just don’t think the pub quiz world needed outsiders coming in with their ideas and their questions.
I've played Wizard School with my friends a few times, and we all enjoy it, thanks for creating it!
Man...after watching this video I wish that I could give you a hug. You really seem like you could do with a hug.
As a backer of Wizard School I have to say that I'm very proud of what you've done and that you never gave up on it. It was my first kickstarter for me and it was not a disappointment. You never gave up, you kept us updated and for me at least I knew that you hadn't forgot us. And if you had, that's the risk of a kickstarter for us investing.
I hope that with the results of WS and Truth or Fail that you don't give up on DFTBAGames. I think that it's a 'wonderful' concept and as someone who adores board games I have the uttermost trust in you to create something that you and your team have put your heart and soul into. To anyone who thinks that your video content is made "just to sell card games" don't truly understand what it is that you're trying to do and that's a shame for them. I've always admired your hard work and your passion for creating new and amazing content. Please takes these as learning opportunities and to never give up and to don't let these "failures" make you doubt yourself when you have an awesome idea.
I hope to see more from DFTBAGames and more successes from you. And (let's not call them) failures. Because you just dust yourself off and get back to it.
Thank you for opening up and I can't wait to see what the new Wizard School Expansion is.
For a (kind of) apology video, it looks like any other one of his videos, and Hank talks like he normally does on this channel. Maybe it just feels weird to me bc of beauty guru apology videos. I think if hank is just projecting authenticity, he’s at least doing it really well.
What is ‘beauty guru apology’??
I am a backer of Wizard School, and still play it every so often! (Can't wait to get the expansion!!) After all these years, I still love the art and because it's the first cooperative game in my (now much bigger) collection of boardgames, it'll always have a special place in my heart. I just want to say that it's alright. Life happens. And whilst I'd be lying if I'd say that I've kept all my trust in you over these years, this video definitely makes up for all of the uncertainty we went through. I still love you and all the things you've been doing, so please continue and DFTBA!
But, Hank...is it worth talking about?
Of course it is! It is really interesting to hear about how things are being developed and how much pressure it is on the person that has to organise everything.
Probably not
probably not
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Gabby H. You just blew my tiny mind
I super love Wizard School, and the stories you can tell with it, but sometimes when it drags or we have to house rule a card so the game doesn't break, you can tell it was a kickstarter created game. It is the art and the concept, plus the fact that it's a co-op game, so it's relatively low-stress, that keeps me coming back to it.
8th year, three years ago… wow sci show has been killing it. I’ve grown up with it, it’s changed who I am as a person and how much I knew. I’m not too far along anywhere yet, but in early highschool I was failing classes and at such a low point, now I’m still pretty low but I have curiosity and I tutor STEM for my college while I finish my degree with straight A’s, I hope to get a job at nasa eventually and scishow and scishowspace (among other great channels like PBS spacetime) are mainly to thank for that. It’s been such a long journey, and it will continue to be for me. Thanks Hank, if you ever see this. As a tutor I am starting to understand how you feel and I know better than most how much of a tough feeling it is to let down people who come to you for learning and have some level of trust. If it’s worth anything, I think you’re great Hank.
Hank, you and John have created an entire, long lasting community based around happiness and kindness. You have built trust and reliability far more times than you have disappointed anyone. I grew up watching you guys and I'm still here, a good decade after I started watching, excited to see what you will do next. I hope you know that your desire to make people happy has never gone unnoticed and has always been appreciated. Thanks for everything you do
I appreciate your positive attitude more than anything. Regardless of how you define success or failure what's most important is how you react to either one, and I think that's the arena where you personally shine brightest. Keep it up, and I can't wait until I get to see my card in action :D
Hank. I was a Wizard School backer. Thanks for helping make it. I don't really care that you think it is a failure, though I understand why you do. I'm just glad it exists.
I've played wizard school maybe three times since I got it, and each time there has been at least one person new to the game, but it's a kind of nice way to bond with friends over struggling to figure out the rules and what's going on and all that. I bought the game because I love Karen Hallion's artwork, and I agree the game is absolutely gorgeous. I'm glad I got it; absolutely zero regrets.
This video is so good! I've been struggling with failure lately and it does weigh on your mind while you're trying to take care of it and it's hard to move on/work on other things while that's happening. I'm struggling to finish something that's over a year late and I feel like it's mentally getting in the way of me creating other things.
I LOVE WIZARD SCHOOL except that I have a two year old and not much time to play games, but I have enjoyed it a bunch.
Also I miss the interactive Truth or Fail videos.
I ordered wizard school and the expansion when I was in high school and I'm glad that I'll be getting it by the time I graduate college lol. But seriously Hank, thanks for sharing your struggles.
First off - thanks for posting this. There’s something really encouraging in seeing that people you look up to a) fail sometimes and b) how they handle it. Listening to the way you talk about things you think are successful and how you categories failures I can’t help feeling like there’s a massive difference between looking at a risk that didn’t pay off and thinking “it failed” as opposed to “I failed”. It’s something I’m terrible at - I internalise failure endlessly - and I like the idea that the balance is in trying to improve other people’s lives.
Also it means so much that you do think/worry about letting this community down, and how we perceive you. I never have any doubt that you (and John) genuinely care about nerdfightaria, or that you’re taking advantage of it to sell stuff. I never feel any pressure to buy something just because it has your name on it, which is so not the case in other corners of the internet. It doesn’t ever feel like if I don’t spend only on every single thing you are working on I can’t be part of this community any more. It just feels like you’re doing cool things you’re excited about, and I get to hear about them.
Sorry. This has been waffley... but basically I’m grateful for you sharing and the way you do things.
The way you handle your failures is really mature and self aware and very inspiring. I really like your perspective that monetary value/societal views does not constitute success. I'm currently digging myself out of my own version of failure and am having a rough time lately. This video really helped me today. Thank you.
If a relationship ends, it might have failed, but as long as both people are better for it I would say it was a success. I also think feeling like I didn't deliver what I could have in a performance or didn't put together a good show, that always gets to me so much more than whether it went into the red. Thanks for this video.
I am usually among the quiet nerdfighters but videos like this make me come out of my shell and into the UA-cam comment section. Hank, thank you! For everything that you have done over the years (when you mentioned the original truth or fail I suddenly felt very old) thank you! Crash course has helped me immensely over the years not only to pass tests but to widen the picture of this beautiful world of ours. And vlogbrothers has both entertained and informed me in so many ways and I will be forever grateful for that. Finally, I want to thank you for your amazing book. I honestly did not expect to fall in love with it the way I did. And thank you for this video, talking about failures is so hard and seeing someone you hold in such a high esteem do it so gracefully is truly inspiring. Hope there is someone to give you a hug, you seem to need it. DFTBA
So... I struggle A LOT with failure and my anxiety around it and honestly this video REALLY made me feel better and really appreciate you sharing this with us! This hopefully will help with my anxiety around failure and maybe I can tackle some of my own goals and plans!
I remember when I first came to this community, and I felt like I had so many things to catch up on, but now I feel like I’ve been here forever after 10 years.
The game is fun even if it's a little difficult. I still want my expansion because (as you said) the Art and Design is beautiful!
Also, I appreciate the apology. There seems to be very little, if any, accountability in life anymore and I'm glad you have the shame and integrity to accept it and do something about it.
I have no regrets in supporting Wizard School, it sounded like a great game and I wanted to see it in my hands. I'm looking forward to having my complete set!
Thanks for being a good human Hank.
I don't think anyone doubts that anything you make/sell to the community is for the community and not for profit. You have created so many incredible things and brought so much joy and jobs to people (I still play my Evil Baby Orphanage and love it so much - literally can't even begin to list all the great things I've gotten from the DFTBA shop and the nerdfighter community in general ). It's impossible to do everything perfectly and I'm sure this game will still be fun and cherished by many people despite the setbacks that are understandably human. Looking forward to attending PodCon for the first time!!
Also I will say that you (and John) have been very thoughtful and authentic in building out the community and people who are in the community are really invested in the community, not just blind audience followers who will buy anything you sell and defend your every word/action. So I don't think you have to feel guilty that you somehow mislead people, because people who bought the game are genuinely excited by the concept of the game (not just bc you're affiliated with it), and also I think people understand the nature of Kickstarter is that the creation/production process can often get delayed and that's why they're funding it on Kickstarter not just buying it off a website when it's ready and AT LEAST YOU WEREN'T TRYING TO SELL POTATO SALAD LOL.
Please be aware that most things that the Hank/John companies sell are very much for profit. They are also for community benefit and do bring happiness. But please do not believe that either Hank or John is not profiting from sales.
@@bellboots Yes, that's fair. Of course, they would be (and have every right to be) interested in profits and do make money from things they sell. I just meant from my perspective I don't see it as their primary goal (aka they're not just trying to make a profit without delivering on a valuable product).
This inspired me to keep working on my own projects. Even with the fear of failure, if I can finish something then I can finish other things and maybe with one project I'll make something others enjoy.
I really value everything you said about feeling a responsibility to and sometimes for a community and not wanting to let them down, as well as your willingness to admit that you've had missteps but you've learned from them. Kinda reminds me of this really amazing book I read this fall about a twenty-something young woman and fame and also aliens making contact with humans... man, I wish I could remember the title or the author or something...
For what it’s worth, every person I show Wizard School to LOVES it. It’s one of my favorite games on my shelf and I play it with my roommates frequently. The design is beautiful, it plays well, and the fact that there’s an expansion coming makes it exciting. I backed the project back when it was new and I have never regretted it one bit. I know this is a frustrating setback, but I hope it makes you feel at least a tiny bit better to know that a bunch of Chicago nerds love the shit out of your game.
Can always admire someone who can admit their mistakes and failures. I'm sad it didn't work out but I'm glad you've worked through it and can overcome it. Onto the next thing!
Thanks for this! Gives some perspective on successes and failures. To just put your best foot forward and accept that there will be hits and misses, is something I have yet to learn.
You're a good role model Hank.
This is why I support you whenever I am able. I believe that you believe in integrity and value Nerdfighteria above just our money. You published this on my 19th birthday and it was something I needed to hear as a lot of interviews/applications/etc are coming up that I may or may not fail at. Seeing a successful and kind and thoughtful person speak on failure puts my fear of it at ease. Thank you, Hank. (PS: I drove HOURS and saw you live in Kansas City for the first time in my LIFE this year, and that was worth every penny and more.)
This video actually helped me realize I need to take more risks because of exactly what you said. You will gain new experiences and meet new people even if you fail. Thanks, Hank.
I'm a backer, and I don't mind waiting patiently for the expansion. I supported Wizard School primarily to support you. I trust in your intentions and that any delays or setbacks are not malicious. I waited about this long (three years?) for my P4A hankschannel video. Before that, I waited nine months for my P4A vlogbrothers video. I know you're incredibly busy, you take on a zillion different projects, and you wrote a freaking bestselling book. Communication with your audience is greatly appreciated and sometimes necessary for customer service reasons, but ultimately you do the best you can, and that's all anyone (including yourself) can ask of you.
As a backer of this and most of your projects through many years, I want you to keep trying new things so whenever you launch a project I love to support you. Wizard School was too complicated for me to play after a few attempts, but I love so many of your other projects, they can't all be winners. Keep trying things, keep bringing the wonderfully weird into my life, DFTBA.
I love this perspective of a creator who isn't afraid of trying new things and approaches and "failing" in these experiments, while not feeling like a failure. Instead, it seems like you just view it as knowledge gained. Quite lovely =) You are so genuine and true to your audience. The fact that you respect your subscriber base so much that you don't want us to think you are leveraging your sway on us only gives me more confidence in you. Keep on keeping on, Hank!
I think this might be one of the healthier ways to look at and talk about failure. Maybe not the healthiest, but healthier.
As a current backer of Blood on the Clocktower...this happens all the time. If your backers are board gamers, they’re used to it. For me, Kickstarter games are gifts I buy for future me and then don’t think about until the day that it magically becomes Christmas.
My favorite thing about Hank's business model(?) is that it's not about the money. It's not about the brand. It's about making people happy. It's about having fun. It's about decreasing world suck. I wish I knew more companies like this.
That ending... Whoa dude, I guess I am okay. Trying to do 'the thing' right is more pertinent. Pursuing an honest and ethical business (UA-camr, and crew) really sounds like it could be quite challenging. The frankness of the channel is appreciated.
I love seeing this more vulnerable side of Hank. As an outsider looking in, I always think of DFTBA and Complexly as these thriving entities that do no wrong, and yes there's moments where you're not thriving due to like funds, popularity, etc., but I've always thought of it as that, like nul moments. Not the word failure. Failure is such a strong word to use with business and in life in general. And it could be my Rose colored glasses looking at this company/group/people that I admire so much, but it says a lot about your character, that the failure was more in loss of trust more than the actual failure of the product.
You know Hank is genuinely ticked off when he swears. Love you Hank! One saying that always stuck with me is fail is your
First
Attempt
In
Learning.
I love your content for so many reasons but primarily it's for being entertaining and setting a good example at the same time which can be hard to do. I'm usually attracted to more dramatic videos where people get very emotional and blame everyone around them and it can be funny/interesting in the moment but doesn't actually help me understand how to respond to my own failures. This is helpful, you aren't solely being optimistic about the learning experience and you aren't trying to blame your peers. I see someone intelligent who can see a situation objectively despite all the emotion and backstory behind it. That is something I want to strive for.
You're an inspiration to a lot of people. A good one. The next time you feel like something failed, remember we all consider you successful regardless. Also, thanks for making these relatable videos, it's really nice.
I'm at a crossroads with business venture I'm trying to start and having a lot of doubts. Thanks for sharing your experience, it's good to hear from someone with more experience than me.
Man, I'm Immeasurably grateful for crashcurse. You have NO IDEA. I mean... I'm 25 and it changed me. The whole idea. Man. I've learned so so so much. I CAN'T thank you enough.
A thing i learned recently about failure on a personal scale, like in terms of individual goals. You've only failed when you give up. I've been doing art my whole life, but i could never get into digital art so i kind of get ignored. I thought i was a failure, since no one cared about the art i was making, but recently I've been switching gears from painting to sculpture and reevaluating what success means. In today's social media world, success seems to be measured in amount of likes and views, and it is really hard to get away from that. But I'm trying, and it really has helped.
So the important thing, for me at least, is to keep trying. Certain projects will flop, but all you can do is learn from it and move on and try again.
The business can fail without you being a failure, or it can fail at one goal without failing at another.
Listening to you I was literally almost brought to tears because God I wish there were more people in the world who prioritized creativity and people and joy and passion over money. Of course businesses have to work to be sustainable and you are in a position to take these risks, and lots of people aren't in those positions, but also lots of people are, and they prioritize more money anyway.
Honestly I love you a lot Hank and you make me so happy and I'm so happy I found Vlogbrothers all those years ago and I just got a fancy sales job but when I agreed to be hired I told them I wouldn't lie to customers to sell stuff because, like you, people are important to me, and letting people down feels not good.
When I get close to deadlines, or miss deadlines, I get this anxiety shame-spiral feeling, where I should have done it by now, and what's even held me up, I can't turn in this half-assed job that I plainly didn't even start until now, ahhhhh, ahhhhhhhh, all the stuff you said at 11:00ish on, ahhhh, . So I've never really been mad about not having the expansion (I have 2-3 kickstarters that I never got anything from and one that has been "coming soon" for far longer than yours). And I kindof figured you were secretly tearing yourself up inside and just thinking disappointed thoughts about it would make you feel even worse.
This idea of having this public admission is kindof terrifying for me. So thumbs-up to you! I will try to keep the stuff from 13:00 in mind for my own next failures, that it's not the end of the world and I can fail forward.
(As an aside, It's very weird, as a person who watches sci-show/crash course but not generally your personal channel, to hear you say "fuck". Kindof weirder than the first time a college professor said it in class. Not judging! Indeed, fuck those people!)
*I* really like Wizard School. I got in a little bit of trouble at work for bringing it for the team to play and we got loud and other teams complained. But I forgive you for getting me in trouble. ;)
Hank, I've been listening to your various podcasts for 2-3 years and I've been watching vlogbrothers for 11(!) years now and both have added an enormous amount of value to my life. Also, thanks to you I'm now going to my first con ever (Podcon!) this month!
We know you are working really hard, Hank. If a there's a group of creators out there that really cares about their people,u guys are def part of it. We care about u too; people like what u do, it's going to be ok, we love u💕, keep being awesome ( even though u may not feel like it) we just know that u are trying hard, and u know that that really counts for something.
Thank you for this. And thank you for Wizard School. If i'm being perfectly honest, i still actually haven't played it in part because it's complicated out of the box (also partly because i've been moving around a lot since i got it), but i'm ok with that. I backed the kickstarter because i believe in the things that dftba and complexly do, and i want to see you try more things. Sometimes they don't work the way you expected, and sometimes they don't work at all, and that's ok. I am happy i was able to help you try this thing, and like you said, even if it didn't "work", you learned from it and the next thing you make will be better for that experience.
I'm studying mass media right now, and we talk a LOT about time as a commodity and about audience loyalty since it's so complicated and ultimately unknown. As I move into the new year, my big word is "intentional," and I'm trying to dump habits, people, etc. that are a waste of my time or energy by analyzing why I spend my time on the things I do and choosing the things that align with my values.
I think this video gave me the answer to the second reason I continue to watch the vlogbrothers 4 years later (the first being the way you two value nuance of an issue over digestible, click-bait-y, outrage-generating soundbites):
the TLDR of this video is: "This thing lost money and that sucks for our company, but I consider it a failure because it made people sad" and that level of empathy from someone with as much social and economic power as Hank Green is something that resonates with my values so much.
Thank-you for discussing failure. I think it would be a great exercise (for us all) to do on a regular basis. As for the game, I'm glad you produced this extension. We'll give it another try with only good feelings. The let-down by a Green brother was hard to accept, and took away any pleasure we has as we tried to play the game. So I am VERY grateful for this "coming to terms". Let's get a calendar!
Thanks for being honest Hank. It is appreciated. I really enjoyed the game, but I also like learning more complicated games with lots of rules. It was definitely confusing sometimes. I am really looking forward to getting the expansion.
Thanks again, for being honest and for admitting to failure. It can't always be easy to do. I do feel a bit let down, but I'll move on. I'm still going to support you because I think that you can pull a thing like this off if you do it again.
thank you for sharing and being honest. it is interesting, and also educational. it shows that your "business" is not "making loads of money" but creating things that gives people happiness, may it be a boardgame or scishow with all its glorious offshoots. i really appreciate that glimpse you gave me into your reasoning or motivation. i once participated in an entrepreneurship project for sustainable green energy, way back when i was at university. it never really crossed my mind to think of business as more than "making money" - because that´s not really what i am interested in. you showed, what else business can and does mean. thank you!
It's ok. I've moved house twice and acquired a grandchild whilst waiting, so it's not like I've been waiting impatiently - I've been busy! I look forward to seeing (and playing) the expansion - please do not continue to beat yourself up about this - life happens, things don't go to plan, and you cannot please everyone. Be proud of what you have achieved, take stock of what you've learned, and know you did what you could do. All good. :) x
Hey Hank, real talk time my friend....
I am a tabletop game fan and I have a decent collection. I have backed dozens of games on Kickstarter, so Wizard School was an insta-back for me. If there's one constant among Kickstarter games its that they will always - ALWAYS - be delayed. Sometimes years. That, in itself, for people who know how this goes, is honestly not a big deal. The difference between projects that don't frustrate people and the ones that do is communication. And that was the only source of ire for me with Wizard School, especially because you're such a gifted communicator and you could have made something really special out of bringing your backers in to the process with all its hairiness.
Wizard School is a fun game! It could be streamlined a little and the rule book could be tightened up. But that brings me to the other thing that I wanted to mention - Board Game Geek. It's a whole large community of folks who play lots and lots of fantastic games, many of us who no doubt are also Nerdfighters. Leverage this community of expertise! Check out the BGG page for the game and be involved (or designate someone). If you ever want to consider re-vamping / re-launching the game (and I really hope you do), please find game enthusiasts to playtest it to death.
Thanks for your transparency and authenticity. This is why I love you (in a non-creepy, appropriate affection for a favorite creator way) so much. Come back to games like WS. More, please.
I admire you so much. And as a long-time nerdfighter, I can safely say that I've never been let down or disillusioned by you or this community in the way you are afraid of. It's like having a friend. I'm not going to judge my friend for trying to make money, nor be disappointed in them when they fail a project. It's just part of life. Also, Truth or Fail was awesome while it lasted, but I think it's okay for it to just be a fun thing that happened in the past. Just, don't stress.
I'm glad you are so open about failure. It's refreshing.
Thanks for the honesty and the insight.
Particularly interested in what you said about not wanting to leverage the community’s trust. Honestly that seems kind of fundamental to UA-cam, and maybe entertainment as a business. I’d be curious to hear more of how you manage that.
I've enjoyed playing Wizard school... but I don't bust it out at game nights often due to the complexity. I did genuinely think it fun. I appreciate seeing your self reflection on the whole thing and look forward to getting the expansion pack. There is a risk to kickstarter, so a delayed fulfillment is still a success in my eyes. :)
I did back Wizard School, and I did trust you. I watched you and John in high school, and ordered that game as an undergrad. I had put you on a pedestal, so I was upset when things were so delayed. I thought that there was a chance that I had been a stupid backer and thrown money away, and that I had been stupid to trust you. Now I'm in grad school, and I've played Wizard School a bunch over the years. I'm not upset anymore, and I wanted to let you know that I do trust you again. I just don't hold you to an unfair standard. I'm glad you are open about this struggle. It makes me feel better about the times I've missed deadlines or let someone down.
Hank, your value as a content provider is unwaivered in my eyes. Your adventures in the world and your companies make the world a better place. We love you.
Hi, I think people backing things on kickstarter know that is might be a very long time before a product exists, but also I just wanted you to know that I haven't lost faith in you, I don't see you as someone I count on to always "succeed" and provide an excellent service, I see you as someone who is always trying their hardest at a hundred different things and those things are to make a better world in some way, not for personal glory - and no one could ever ask for more. Thank you for all that you do.
So, truthfully, I had forgotten that I hadn't received the Hank expansion of my Wizard's School game. (which I do still kinda want)
Also, honestly, I've only watched your instructional video for it once, and it was so intimidating that I haven't even tried to play the game.
What I can tell you is that you haven't lost my trust. I don't particularly care about the game or the kickstarter or the fulfillment of promises. I see what you and John do with the money your companies receives. I know the good you are doing in the world. I point people toward your channels and endeavors because I believe, with all of being, in what you and John do.
So yeah, things get fucked up sometimes, and I completely understand your personal frustration with it, but I appreciate you so much for being you. For being transparent. For being a light in the darkness.
This game is not only lovable, but riiculous. And also helped me teach English to my Harry Potter obsessed group of students
Dear Hank -- thank you for your vulnerability and honesty. It's very clear that you take your responsibility seriously while also having compassion for your team and yourself.
Maybe it would be best to hand Truth or Fail and other solid projects that are in the periphery of your influence off to people who are more inmeshed in that market. Delegating hurts because it's your creation and vision -- it's an act of faith and trust. But I bet there's someone in your community or Nerdfighteria who could take these projects to their full fruition while still including your input.
Hey! Commenter from 2020 here and although it was a commercial "failure", we still play Wizard School in my house and love it deeply. Thank you for making it.
It's always disappointing when we don't accomplish things how we set out to do. You learn from what you did and move on. You do so many amazing things for yourself and so many other people. give yourself the grace to accept and move forward with what you know now.
this is the thing you want to talk!!!!
Hank you shall not be sorry for things you can't control. You did the best for everyone and failure is a way to learn, sadly.
I've been a backer the whole time. Ever time I get an email update I go "Oh yeah, that thing". That's actually how I ended up here. I didn't do the refund because honestly, it doesn't seam worth it to me. I will eventually get the product that obviously didn't hurt me for money because I don't even remember what I had paid for it. Then, I'll get to be part of a small amount of people that can say "I waited years for this product." It's kind of a community experience.
You are an incalculable caring person Hank and as I'm sure you know caring too much can drive you insane, and I can't offer any advice on the subject that you haven't heard already or that is almost entirely useless like 'try not to be so hard on yourself' but what I can say is I, and I'm sure many many others, appreciate how much you care
what strikes me about this conversation is how much hank cares about his consumers - things don't always work out and when you've got as many projects on the go as he does there's bound to be some that don't work out as well- but thinking and reflecting this deeply on the problems and failures gives them value and I'm looking forward to seeing what new stuff comes out in the future 😊