The Overnight Success That Took Years

Deb Liu says the best product leaders have the toughest stories. They got hard feedback, bounced back. "Trees are strong because they bend in the wind, because they're tested." The people who never failed? Not that interesting, apparently.

Your child is attempting shoes. Attempt forty-seven. They've tried wrong foot, backwards, upside down, and one truly innovative configuration you didn't know was possible. They keep going. This is the whole deal.

Liu got told by Zuckerberg she'd never have the job she wanted. Her response was to take the job she had and turn it into what she wanted. She's now CEO of Ancestry. Your kid can't reach the counter, so they're dragging a chair across the kitchen at 6am. They can't zip their jacket, so they're practicing on the dog's sweater.

You could do the shoes for them. You could lift them to the counter. But then you'd just be raising someone who calls IT every time their monitor isn't plugged in. The stumbling blocks are the stepping stones, and also the only reason they'll survive their first product launch.