Fail Better with David Duchovny

About Fail Better with David Duchovny

To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

Publisher

Lemonada Media

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

16 Apr 2024

Latest episode

5 May 2026

Latest episodes

97 of 109 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   5 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie Tells Matthew McConaughey How Success Broke Him

   New series sneak peek! No Magic Pill is hosted by TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie, who fell apart after building and selling one of the most recognized brands on the planet. After a years-long journey through every therapy and treatment imaginable, Blake is finally talking honestly about the dark side of success and the reality of mental health. In No Magic Pill, Blake travels the country to sit down with survivors, experts, and cultural icons who have looked into the darkness and found a way out. These aren’t stories of quick fixes; they are honest conversations about the daily choices, big and small, that create a path forward. In this episode excerpt, Blake speaks with actor Matthew McConaughey about the darkest moments in his life and how solo trips helped him purge the shame, guilt, and embarrassment of his younger years. You can hear the full episode and hear more of No Magic Pill at https://lemonada.lnk.to/NoMagicPillBlakeMycoskie

2. 

   31 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Fail Again: The Family Business with Robert Downey Jr.

   David Duchovny interviews Robert Downey Jr. about his complex relationship with his father, Robert Downey Sr., and their shared journey toward healing and sobriety.

3. 

   24 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Fail Again: Chris Carter Wants You To Believe

   Host David Duchovny interviews creator Chris Carter about The X-Files' mysteries, Carter's career, and the reboot's misunderstood ending.

Inside a recent episode

TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie Tells Matthew McConaughey How Success Broke Him

Published 5 May 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I have a place I need to get to. to find my bed. Yeah, yeah. To get water. Yeah, I know. It's a simple thing because the movement. Yeah, like the old saying of chop wood, you know, carry water. Yes. Like sometimes that just simple repetition of accomplishing a simple task can get the momentum that you need to get clear in the head. It's blood flowing. And then that's when you really get those insights, downloads, and helped you bring this great book into the world. And that is part of, I think, how we rehabilitate. When we just start dealing with the chop wood, carry water, deal with what's right in front of you for long enough, one in a row, enough times, and we start to get out of the cave. […]

Who has been a guest on Fail Better with David Duchovny

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Robert Downey Jr
• Chris Carter
• Kathleen Hanna
• Jason Beghe
• Sean Penn

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

446,521

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

520 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

552 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 91 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

89

Social presence

97

YouTube

93

Engagement

91

Contact Fail Better with David Duchovny

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Fail Better with David Duchovny