It sounds ridiculous when you say it that way.

But of course, it is ridiculous. It’s (quite possibly) the reason you’re postponing starting that business, that project, that course because you don’t want to fail so to be safe you rather not start.

On the other hand, there’s no doubt that, “If you don’t start, you will fail.” Doing nothing is the same as failing. The Startup revolution rewards people who start, hence the terms “start-up.”

Not starting and failing lead to precisely the same outcome, with different names.