Fuck Up Nights: Behind the Scenes of Success

Have you ever wondered what really happens behind the polished posts on social media and the successful images of startups? Behind sleepless nights, burnout, and mistakes that nobody talks about. At Fuck Up Nights, founders and CEOs shared their failures — not to complain, but to help us learn from their experiences and avoid making the same mistakes.

Burnout: the 90/10 rule

One of the main topics was work burnout. The 90/10 rule — spending 90% of your time on work and development, and 10% on life and basic needs — can really work. But there’s a risk: if you don’t take care of yourself, you will eventually burn out and need time to recover your energy and strength. It’s like lighting a candle at both ends: it shines brightly, but won’t last long. Knowing this risk is part of surviving in business.

Building Strong Business Partnerships

Another important topic was partnerships. Business partnerships are a lot like marriage: there’s a common goal and a “family” — your product, which you both care for and nurture like a child. Your job is to help it grow and become better every day. Sometimes, though, partners might need to work separately. The key is to honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses and find someone who complements you rather than competes with you.

Preparing for the Unexpected

They also talked about unexpected situations at the workplace. What happens if a key employee faces an emergency? Illness, leaving the company, personal issues — life is unpredictable. One speaker shared a practice called “what happens if I die” — a file with all passwords, data, and notes, so the team can take over critical tasks without disruption. It’s a lesson in creating a resilient system where the business and its users remain protected, even when human factors come into play.

Our team at NZR Retail & Branding is not immune to mistakes either. We acknowledge that we are not perfect — we are human. We have our own lives, thoughts, and emotions, and everyone makes mistakes. Yes, we are professionals, but first and foremost, we are people learning to accept our errors, find solutions, and move forward. That’s why support from the company and the team is so important: it helps maintain balance and develop the business without destructive consequences.

We share our mistakes so that you can learn from them. If you keep making the same mistakes, it means the lesson hasn’t been learned yet.

Fuck Up Nights reminds us that behind every successful business, there are real people, real challenges, and real mistakes. Mistakes are not failures — they are lessons that make us stronger.