From an underground community to a global movement: Some FAQ

We'd be filthy rich by now

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How does a small social circle turn into a local underground community? How does a local underground community turn into a global movement? How is it possible to make a global movement work? And how do you make money? If the team at Fuckup Nights were given a dollar every time we were asked these questions, we’d be filthy rich by now.

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To answer these questions, let us tell you a story:

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Once upon a time (2012), in a land far, far away (or just around the corner if you live in Mexico City), five friends met in a bar and drank some Mexican magic potion (mezcal). They were feeling sad and disillusioned with how the whole world was talking about success and the path that leads to it. Why was no one talking about reality, about failure? As the mezcal took effect, the friends let their guards down and loosened their tongues; one by one, each of them confessed to carrying the weight of a professional failure and shared their story with the group.

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Over the next few days, after the mezcal had worn off, the magic lingered. Sharing their failures had lifted their sense of shame and allowed them to be vulnerable. Grateful for what they had shared and learned, the friends made a pact to return to the bar and share that cathartic experience with others.

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The group of friends quickly grew into a community of people who met regularly to enjoy the magic combination of Fuckup stories and beers. One day, a woman named Naia from San Sebastián, Spain, was at the bar and asked if she could bring this magic back to her city:

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The five friends agreed, and that was the moment the movement was born.

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Now that Fuckup Nights were taking place on both the American continent and in Europe, it was only a matter of time before it spread across the world; the formula knows no borders and works its magic on people from Lagos para La Paz and in today’s world, where our minor (and beautiful) differences are often used to divide us, we have found another concept that unites each and every one of us: Failure.

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Humans, no matter where we come from or what family we’re born into, all experience failure. We all feel a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges as we navigate the path to and from failure. Most of us also find this journey to be a lonely one; sharing it with others is not something we’re used to doing. That is why the magic formula is so important—it breaks down this barrier—and why the movement naturally grew into what it is today.

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The Movement exists solely because of a global community of driven (and slightly crazy) City Fuckuppers (organizers). A Fuckupper is an individual who is personally motivated to change mindsets, promote learning, and improve well-being in their cities by creating events that provide safe spaces for people to publicly share their failures and lessons learned.

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Fuckup Nights never reach out to or recruit “Fuckuppers.” We strongly believe that motivation should come from within. These wonderful individuals usually reach out to us after being inspired by a “ Fuckup Nights ” they’ve attended, a video they’ve watched, or a blog post they’ve read. Each “ Fuckupper ” has their own stories and reasons for wanting to bring these events to life in their city, and we love to hear them.

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If we decide to invite an individual or team into our movement, we offer them a contract; this makes it official, and they become the leader of the Fuckup Nights movement in their city. We charge a membership fee—a nominal amount that demonstrates the Fuckupper ’s commitment—but it’s not enough to keep the movement sustainable; it’s actually the corporations that keep us going.

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Companies, conferences, and academic institutions ask us to organize private events, workshops, and content programs to improve company culture, create spaces of psychological safety, and encourage innovation.

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What better way to screw up the system than from the inside?! We’re available in every country where we have a presence—which means almost everywhere in the world, 24/7. That’s how we keep the movement going!

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Helping our Fuckuppers share their failures is a team of 4 Movement Coordinators and a Movement Admin. Coordinators welcome each new Fuckupper into the community (by teaching them how to create the Fuckup Nights magic). We also provide them with a whole bunch of Fuckup Nights Materials: manuals, platforms, design assets, etc. Afterward, we remain constant “friends in failure,” holding regular support and sharing calls and staying informed about how the movement is developing in each city.

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We build a community among Fuckupperby announcing each new team to the entire movement, facilitating local introductions, and organizing Fuckupper calls. Last year, we held a competition for our European Fuckuppers, and the winners joined us at our midyear retreat in Palma de Mallorca.

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Here’s the “ team ” from Fuckup Nights Europe HQ featuring Fuckuppers Mina from Malmö and Bertwin & Barbara from Leeuwarden.

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Being part of something bigger than yourself is a humbling and rewarding experience: Getting to have plenty of FUN and say “FUCK” all the time is an added bonus.

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If you’re interested in joining the FUN and becoming a City Fuckupper, please visit our City Membership Page.

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