Is it true that things don’t go wrong, they start wrong?

The quote “things don’t go wrong, they start wrong.” is provacative , but underneath it lies an overclaim. Setbacks can disrupt even well-started plans. How then do you respond with clarity, adaptation, and forward momentum instead of blame or shame? Read more

Martin Mwenda

1/26/20261 min read

Not all things go wrong because they started wrong—and even those that start wrong can be corrected. So the statement “things don’t go wrong, they start wrong” is an overclaim.

Yes, sometimes failure is baked in from the beginning: unclear expectations, weak planning, poor standards, missing skills, or ignored risks. In those cases, what looks like a sudden breakdown is really the final symptom of earlier gaps. The quote is useful because it pushes us to look downstream instead of blaming others.

But life isn’t that simple. Many things start well and still go wrong. Conditions change. People get stretched. Markets shift. Health issues interrupt routines. A supplier delays. A policy changes. A key teammate exits. A new competitor emerges. Or a rare event happens that no reasonable plan could fully prevent. In complex systems, even “right” decisions can produce unintended outcomes when circumstances evolve.

Mindshift is about what you do when disruption shows up. Instead of turning setbacks into shame or blame, treat them as data. What changed? Which assumption is no longer true? What capacity needs strengthening? What can you control now? When you lead with learning, setbacks become pivots—not verdicts.

So here’s a better takeaway: many things go wrong because they started wrong, but many go wrong because reality changed. Either way, you’re not stuck. You can reset, refine, and move forward—wiser, calmer, and more intentional.Get mindshift via this link https://a.co/d/hrBJ06W and learn how to transform setbacks into growth and progress.