My own museum of failure

The Museum of Failure is my new favourite website. Goes without saying I am exaggerating. But their mission is lovely:

Museum of Failure is a collection of failed products and services from around the world.

Innovation needs failure. All progress is built on learning from past failures and mistakes. The museum provides unique insight into the tricky business of innovation.

It got me thinking about the number of times I have failed with my efforts to make gym equipment:

short lever landmine (it was too short)

hanging dip bar (it would shake violently)

neutral grip t-bell (neutral held in a goblet hold stressed the wrist)

rack mounted dip stand (we improved the camber for Indian build and bumped up the bar diameter to 40-48mm)

jammer arms (too short and felt off)

weighted jump ropes (the bushing didn’t spin well enough)

adjustable width dip stands (the link was too flimsy)

freestanding boomerang grip pull up bar (the third leg was unwieldy)

belt squat V1 and V2 (the mechanism to rack the weights was inelegant and silly) V3 worked like a charm

t-bell with a slot to lock in handle (unreliable locking, the pin would break free when slotted the wrong way forcibly)

free standing pulley unit (it needed to be bolted down to work and that wasn’t an option, the pulleys didn’t pivot freely enough for a smooth experience)

adjustable parallel bars on squat rack (it was too heavy and could not be moved up and down freely, it also rendered the squat rack unusable)

safety squat v1 (the main shaft was too heavy and slid back, the handles 12 inches apart were too wide)

portable squat rack (unhappy with lack of stability)

neutral grip axle bar (it was a one trick pony)

neutral grip dumbbell (it was too unsteady)

The number of mistakes or failures over the last 11 years are just whack. Just so many mess ups. But as the cliche goes I learned a lot!