Manifesto Score Case Study: Fail Bigger Cheaper

Our fourth Case Study using the Manifesto Score… How does a manifesto that is only three words long perform under the Manifesto Score?

Manifesto: Fail Bigger Cheaper: A Three Word Manifesto.

Created by: Umair Haque

Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/haque/2011/03/fail_bigger_cheaper_a_three_wo.html

The Manifesto

Fail Bigger Cheaper

Manifesto Score

YES Manifestos are primal: Umair is calling it a manifesto so he scores a point for that.

NO Manifestos terminate the past: Nothing ‘ending’ here.

NO Manifestos create new worlds: No ‘new world’ being created.

NO Manifestos trigger communities: No ‘community’ here.

NO Manifestos define us: No ‘us’ here.

NO Manifestos antagonise others: No ‘other’ here.

NO Manifestos inspire being: No ‘way of being’ mentioned.

YES Manifestos provoke action: I’m being generous here… This manifesto does call forth a solitary and single action.

NO Manifestos crave presence: As the author says, ‘Try this thought experiment’. How about if you’re serious Umair that you create a campaign out of this! Do you believe in your idea or not?

Score: 2 out of 9

Suggestions

Just putting the word ‘manifesto’ on the end of a statement does this proud and potent word a disservice. Some more work on all other 7 principles is needed here. In particular, this could be a great campaign if the author was serious about his idea.

Or perhaps, the problem is the title, the heading ‘A Three Word Manifesto’ is really a lie!

And probably a deliberate one to catch our attention. This is disappointing because the article is worth a read and this really could be a killer manifesto if taken seriously. Perhaps I should rewrite it for the author?

What do you think? Is that score about right? Or am I being overly sensitive?