Success Is 99% Failure! - The Honda Story

Honda is one of the most successful brands for cars motorcycles and others. But do you know that this success came out of repeated failures of it’s founder Mr. Soichiro Honda? 

Soichiro Honda was a man born for failures. But he learnt the art of converting the curses into boons. 

The key to Honda’s success was how he reacted to all the extreme problems he encountered. Read one of the most inspiring failure stories of the world!

FIRST DREAM PROJECT

In 1938, Soichiro Honda was around 18 years old when he started a little workshop. He had a burning desire to develop  piston rings and sell it to Toyota company. 

He worked hard day and night. After several months of sweat and toil he completed his working model of piston ring. 

REJECTED AND RIDICULED

With high expectations he took the sample to Toyota. But his work was rejected. The engineers laughed at his design. He came back to his workshop with shattered dream. 

He was broke and frustrated but he wasn’t about to give up on his dream that easily.

HE WON A CONTRACT

But, he refused to give up. Rather than focusing on his failure, he continued working towards his goal.

He spent the next two years continuing to find way to make the piston ring better. “I let no one disturb my concentration… Even hunger could not disturb me” was his comment about his own focus. 

Then, after two more years of struggle and redesign, he won a contract with Toyota.

UNABLE TO BUILD HIS FACTORY

By now, the Japanese government was gearing up for the second world war! With the contract in hand, Soichiro Honda needed to build a factory to supply Toyota. 

But building materials were in short supply. Though he had orders in his hand he was unable to build his factory. It seemed like nobody would help him . 

Again did he quit? Absolutely not.

HE FOUND A NEW WAY

Still he would not quit! He worked around the clock trying different approaches to manufacture concrete. 

This new concrete-making process enabled him to build the factory. With the factory now built, he was ready for production. He seemed to be the happiest person.

THE FACORY WAS BOMBED TWICE

But the second world war bombarded his dream. His factory was bombed twice and steel became unavailable, too. 

Was this the end of the road for Honda? No!

He started reconstructing the bombarded building. He was about to start the manufacturing process.

EARTHQUAKE SHATTERED THE DREAM

Japan is an earthquake prone country. Finally, an earthquake destroyed the whole factory. His factory was levelled to the ground and he was forced to sell his piston operation to Toyota.

Soichiro Honda’s dream received the deadliest attack, but that wouldn’t stop him from going on to achieve something far greater.

HIS BIGGEST THRILL

  

When the war had ended Japan was in total turmoil. Resources were scarce. Gasoline was rationed. Honda couldn’t even get enough gas to drive his car to the market to buy food for his family.

Yet again, instead of feeling helpless and defeated he started asking himself some very powerful questions: “How can I use the things I already have to find a way to get there?” 

He explained about his positive spirit in the following words: “My biggest thrill is when I plan something and it fails, my mind is then filled with ideas on how I can improve it.” 

THE FIRST ‘MOTORBIKE’

He noticed a little motor he had on a traditional lawn mower, and got a flash of idea of hooking it up to his bicycle. He never waited.

He fixed the little lawn mower motor to his bicycle and started riding it. In that moment the first “motorbike” was created. 

He drove the motorized bicycle to the market. All of his friends and relatives requested him to make similar one for them too.

ANOTHER OBSTACLE

Shortly thereafter he’d made so many motorised bicycles. The entire town ran out of motors because of this new trend.

He was unable to supply the demand. So he decided to build a new factory to manufacture his own.

Yet again another obstacle stood in Mr. Honda’s way. He had no money and Japan was torn apart so how could he do it?

Was he ready to give up now? No!

RAISED MONEY IN A NOVEL WAY

Soichiro Honda wrote to 18,000 bicycles shop owners. In that inspiring letter, he asked them to help him revitalize Japan.

5,000 bicycles shop owners responded and advanced him what little money they could to build his tiny bicycle engines.

PROBLEM OF UNATTRACTIVE MODELS

Honda managed to establish his new factory. Unfortunately, the first motorbike models were unattractive and didn't work well. 

There were many complaints from the customers. Did he concede his defeat? No.

INSTANT SUCCESS ?

He himself went to the workshop, and continued to improve the model and functions of parts. Finally he came up with the small engine ‘The Super Cub’.

‘The Super Cub’ became ‘instant success’. With success in Japan, Honda began exporting his Super Cub engines to Europe and America.

End of story? No!

ANOTHER GAS SHORTAGE

In the 1970s there was another gas shortage, this time in America. Because of this gas crisis, the automotive fashion turned to small cars.

Honda was a man, who always looked for opportunities among problems. He was quick to pick up on the trend. 

Since Honda company is now an expert in small engine design, the company started making tiny cars, smaller than anyone had seen before, and rode another wave of success.

Today, Honda Corporation employs over 100,000 people, and is one of the world’s largest automobile companies.

SUCCESS IS 99% FAILURE

Through out his life Honda was bombarded with failures. But each and every time, he took the failure level headed and made adjustments on a continuous basis.

Honda said “Success is 99% failure. Success can be achieved only through repeated failure and introspection.” 

Whenever you meet with a failure just remember Honda’s quote: 

“I don’t regret the thousands of times 

I came home empty-handed, 

having lost all my ammunition and bait. 

When the days get as gloomy as that, 

then you know you will soon find the treasure…"