‘Failing again and again’: How James Dyson’s coveted vacuum cleaners made him the UK’s richest man | Economics and business

Meeting one of the richest men on the planet is a rare opportunity. Sir James Dyson, a Knight of the British Empire, has a net worth of around €25 billion (about $26.7 billion), which places him near the top of global wealth rankings compiled by the likes of Bloomberg And Forbes. But Dyson’s wealth came from his creative and industrial endeavours, not from financial speculation and sleight of hand.

Dyson is an engineer and inventor by nature. From an early age, he remembers delving into the inner workings of various objects, seeking to uncover their secrets. Among his many interests, motorcycles captivated him the most, because they embody pure engineering without the ostentation of cars that often prioritize form over function. This idea, that exceptional design embodies elegant functionality, remains a guiding principle of his work.

Dyson says he made his fortune by “failing over and over again.” What he referred to as failure were actually failed attempts that provided valuable learning experiences for continuing to persevere. In the case of his groundbreaking invention—the G-Force bagless cyclonic vacuum—he tested 5,127 prototypes over four intense years. Despite a boycott by many British retailers who were reluctant to give up sales of vacuum bags, G-Force was successfully launched in 1986. Its first triumph was in Japan, a country known for the early adoption of innovative products, and it quickly gained popularity big. Popular all over the world.

Today, Dyson vacuums feature a futuristic design, a hygienic vacuum system, and a $300 price tag. It still sells very well and had a transformative effect as the 20th century declined, according to industrial designer William Welsh. James Dyson went on to develop a wide range of products: washing machines, hand dryers, hair dryers, fans, air purifiers, headphones, and even a prototype electric car that would “never see the light of day,” Dyson said. “Although it was a technically flawless design, we knew it would never be competitive.”

Dyson believes that perseverance is his most important quality, even more than creativity. He never gave up, even when everything seemed to be falling apart. A group of journalists were invited to meet Sir James at one of the royal estates in the Parisian district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, on the banks of the Seine. We walk quietly through courtyards and beautiful rooms until we reach the large office where Dyson, wearing a gray turtleneck, waits for us on a gorgeous modular sofa next to an electric fireplace. He wants to talk about his new book Invention: A Life of Learning Through Failurea chronicle of a life dedicated to failure.

Dyson discusses his studies in furniture and interior design at the Royal College of Art from 1966 to 1970. He describes it as an opportunity to immerse himself in the vibrancy of London, and experience the excitement of early Pink Floyd concerts and the colorful fashion scene of Carnaby Street. . He says that the painter David Hockney had a great intellectual and aesthetic influence. “I was training for a profession – design – which had no name at that time, although we had excellent examples like the Bauhaus movement. Hockney, the most brilliant contemporary artist at our school, taught me something valuable. Besides being very talented, “He was always looking for new things. He showed me that art and industrial design are fundamentally about creativity, and you can’t separate function from beauty.”

Dyson is proud to display many of his creations in museums. The DC02 vacuum cleaner has been part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York since 1994, while the G-Force was one of 12 pieces selected for a charity exhibition at the London Design Museum in 2016. These accolades from the art world confirmed the designer’s hunch That useful things can also be beautiful.

Reflecting on his career, Dyson has come to some contradictory conclusions. “Experience doesn’t really hold much value because we can’t rely on the past to help us solve today’s problems.” The key is to keep failing and take incremental steps closer to success. “I still go to the studio every morning looking for young, talented individuals who bring new ideas without any preconceptions. I have tried to remain creatively objective by not involving the finance and marketing departments in design decisions. They know that I will bring them a finished product from the lab and order Help sell it.

Admittedly, Dyson’s approach has involved difficult setbacks, such as the 2019 cancellation of a project to make an electric car that would compete with Tesla. “I brought together more than 500 people to work on a working prototype. However, we saw that larger companies were willing to sell at a loss to gain market share, which we could not afford. So I had to cancel the project. It was a difficult decision, but The technology lessons can be applied to other projects, and most of the talent we hired has stayed with the company.

Dyson tells us over and over again that failure is fertile. It fuels innovation, which is “the only thing that really matters.” One of its efforts is focused on sustainability, recognizing energy conservation as a major modern challenge. Dyson is involved in other projects such as his organic farms and the Dyson Foundation, which he runs with his wife, painter Deirdre Hindmarsh. The inventor describes himself as a passionate professional who is constantly involved in his work. “If there’s one thing I’m not an entrepreneur, it’s an entrepreneur. I write that, because I want to be clear about that.” Hockney followers like Sir James Dyson seem to have mastered the art of failing on their way to financial success.

Subscribe to Our weekly newsletter For more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition