Success is complex, Failure is a no-brainer

First of all, it puts down failure as something inferior. Failure is a natural step to success. Calling it a no-brainer devalues its incredibly valuable teachings. I have a chance at being successful in my current start-up in part because of the issues I had in my previous one.

Secondly, it over-simplifies the definition of success. Is wandering the oppressive halls of a Microsoft really success? Sure, for Bill Gates, Microsoft is a success. But it didn't become a success through the oppressiveness of its halls - the most valuable game-changing moves happened long before it was a huge mega-corporation, when it was busy building things like MS DOS and Windows and setting up all the dominos to fall in the right place.

It's an interesting thought overall, but I don't really see the value of applying it so directly to business or careers.

Once you clear that hurdle it get's a lot more complicated. No longer is it black and white. Alive or Dead.

It's actually easier to live on the edge, though far less desirable. Things are a lot more clear.