Willing to Be Bad

Forged In The Dark · Jul 30, 2026 · 10m · transcript

Sometimes I sit down, hit record, and exactly what I want to say comes out. Sometimes it doesn't. And that got me thinking about a rule I keep coming back to: you have to be willing to be bad to get good.

Not bad at what you already do — bad at the new thing. The beginner thing. Because there's no natural talent that skips the reps. Every pro you admire has hours you never saw.

I learned this watching a room full of open-mic comedians in the Texas heat — including one whose set fell flat, who walked off that stage head held high anyway. He was willing. That willingness is the whole game. But…