Stop being afraid of failure and start embracing it.

FailCon is a one-day conference for technology entrepreneurs, investors, developers, and designers to study their own and others' failures and prepare for success.

We all have founded, worked for or invested in startups that have failed. We're smart, we keep up with the latest in technology trends, but sometimes things just don't go as planned. How can you predict what will work and what won't? Well, you can't.

But that doesn't mean you should stop trying. It just means you should start exchanging stories of what didn't work and how you pivoted, why you couldn't raise money, what the wrong hires were like, and when you decided it was time to let go. Entrepreneurs need to hear that from each other: it's okay to fail; it doesn't mean you're worthless. You're just like the rest of us, learning from making mistakes and building something bigger next time.

FailCon was started in San Francisco in 2009 as a response to events repeatedly highlighting only success, while providing so guidance or safe spaces for failure. Our first event launched with over 400 attendees, and we've continued to grow ever since. We hope you'll join us and add your unique story and experience to our own.

Failure is still a taboo topic all over the world, but we're working to change that one city at a time. If you're interested in hosting a FailCon in your city, email Cass.

Who Are The Producers?

Cass Phillipps, Global Producer

Cass has been a startup event producer for over seven years, producing and managing conferences like FailCon, SF MusicTech Summit, Inside Social Apps, Unleashed Conference, and many more. She works with clients to ensure each has a high-quality and profitable event, connecting them with the best partners, sponsors, and speakers for their topics. Recently, she's escaped to the land of game design, determined to find what makes people have fun! You can follow her adventures on twitter @webwallflower

Diane Loviglio, San Francisco Producer

Diane is also the founder of Share Some Style. Learn more about Diane and the San Francisco event at http://sf.thefailcon.com. You can also get in touch with Diane on twitter @dianeloviglio

Heather McGough, SF Associate Producer

Heather McGough is also the founder of Urbanity Events. Learn more about Heather and the San Francisco event at http://sf.thefailcon.com. You can also get in touch with Heather on twitter @urbanityevents

Roxanne Varza, France Producer

Roxanne is also the Startup Lead at Microsoft France. Learn more about Roxanne and the French FailCon at http://france.thefailcon.com

Sascha Schubert, Germany Producer

Sascha is also the co-founder of Spendino. Learn more about Sascha and the German FailCon at http://berlin.thefailcon.com

Rafael Chanin, Brazil Producer

Rafael is a Professor at PUCRS and a Director at Nós Coworking. Learn more about Rafael and the Brazilian FailCon at http://brazil.thefailcon.com

Flavio Steffens de Castro, Brazil Producer

Flavio is also the founder of Woompa Learn more about Flavio and the Brazilian FailCon at http://brazil.thefailcon.com

Ben Rennie, Australia Producer

Ben is also the founder of 6.2. Learn more about Ben and the Sydney FailCon at http://sydney.thefailcon.com

Courtney van der Weyden, Australia Producer

Courtney is a member of the production team at 6.2 Learn more about Courtney and the Sydney FailCon at http://sydney.thefailcon.com

Kristine Lauria, Singapore Producer

Kristine a community builder, digital media dynamo, and world explorer. Learn more about Kristine and the Singaporian FailCon at http://singapore.thefailcon.com

Vinnie Lauria, Singapore Producer

Vinnie is also a founding partner at Golden Gate Ventures. Learn more about Vinnie and the Singaporian FailCon at http://singapore.thefailcon.com

Blake Merriam, India Producer

Blake has been living in Mumbai for most of the last six years, originally arriving to work on an e-commerce project for a US firm. Learn more about Blake and the Indian FailCon at http://india.thefailcon.com

Pedro Olivares, Spain Producer

Pedro is also the founder of Salto con Red. Learn more about Pedro and the Spanish FailCon at http://spain.thefailcon.com