fail fast

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to test ideas quickly and abandon the failing ones early, learning as cheaply as possible

Why this phrase?

From the lean-startup movement popularized by Eric Ries's The Lean Startup (2011).

Example

“We fail fast on experiments: two weeks, one metric, kill or scale.”

Dictionary details

Component words

fail fast

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

move fast and break things Informal · CEFR C1

a philosophy of shipping quickly and accepting breakage in order to learn faster

fast and furious Neutral · CEFR B2

Happening with exceptional speed, energy, and intensity.

in the fast lane Neutral · CEFR B2

living or working at an intense pace often associated with excitement and risk

pull a fast one Informal · CEFR B2

to deceive someone with a quick, sneaky, or unexpected trick

throw it at the wall and see what sticks Informal · CEFR B2

to try many ideas quickly, keeping only the ones that work

seed money Neutral · CEFR B1

the initial capital used to start a business

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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