Rob Forbes: How I survived my worst failure
In this presentation, entrepreneur Rob Forbes recounts his biggest failure: the underwhelming launch of PUBLIC Bikes. “It had me in the fetal position,” he says. “I’ve never been so wrong in my life.” Forbes recounts how the humbling experience made him return to basics and value creativity over being clever, giving him a new mantra: “Failure is an option.”
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About Rob
Rob grew up in Pasadena and Laguna Beach, California. He studied aesthetics at UC Santa Cruz and received an MFA in ceramics from Alfred University. Rob has been an artist, author, professor, photographer, publisher, and business entrepreneur. He has held executive positions at some retail companies, such as Selfridges, William Sonoma, and The Nature Company. He is best known as the Founder of Design Within Reach (DWR, 1998) which marketed European modern furnishings to American buyers; and PUBLIC Bikes (2009) an on-line bike retailer.
Forbes has received numerous public recognition and awards for his advocacy of design and urbanism, he also serves on numerous boards in the non-profit sector. He recently authored "See for Yourself", published by Chronicle Books, which asks readers to look more carefully and curiously at everyday design in our man-made world.

































Mitchell Besser
Ron Gutman
Donald Sadoway
Jane McGonigal
Jorge Soto
Alice Bows-Larkin
Topher White
Chris Milk
Yves Behar
Caleb Chung
Nilofer Merchant
Shawn Achor
Astro Teller
Adam Grant
Tim Harford
Jason Fried
Arianna Huffington
David Logan
Roselinde Torres
Paola Antonelli
Alex Blumberg
Rochelle King
Anil Dash
Rob Forbes
Christoph Niemann
Kelly McGonigal
Joanne Wilson
Oliver Burkeman
Aaron Dignan
Tony Buzan
Tom Chatfield
John Armstrong
John-Paul Flintoff

Mitchell Besser

Ron Gutman

Donald Sadoway

Jane McGonigal

Jorge Soto

Alice Bows-Larkin

Topher White

Chris Milk

Yves Behar

Caleb Chung

Nilofer Merchant

Shawn Achor

Astro Teller

Adam Grant

Tim Harford

Jason Fried

Arianna Huffington

David Logan

Roselinde Torres

Paola Antonelli

Alex Blumberg

Rochelle King

Anil Dash

Rob Forbes

Christoph Niemann

Kelly McGonigal

Joanne Wilson

Oliver Burkeman

Aaron Dignan

Tony Buzan

Tom Chatfield

John Armstrong

John-Paul Flintoff