society
Hosted by David Duchovny · society · EN-US · 102 episodes
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.
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Signup to Generate a PitchTo 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.
Fail Better with David Duchovny is hosted by David Duchovny. The show has published 102 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "TOMS Founder Blake Mycoskie Tells Matthew McConaughey How Success Broke Him" (5 May 2026, 22 minutes), "Fail Again: The Family Business with Robert Downey Jr." (31 March 2026, 59 minutes), and "Fail Again: Chris Carter Wants You To Believe" (24 March 2026, 66 minutes).
Fail Better with David Duchovny publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 58 minutes across 102 episodes.
Booking probability for Fail Better with David Duchovny is 34%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Fail Better with David Duchovny requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Fail Better with David Duchovny's contact route on record: verified email.
David Duchovny hosts Fail Better with David Duchovny, a society show with 102 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>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...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired July 22, 2025</p> <p>The spotlight has certainly taken its toll on Robert Downey Jr. over the years. But much like his beloved MCU character Tony Stark, there's an undeniably powerful...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired June 3, 2025</p> <p>The X-Files was always about turning something mysterious and untraceable into something known — so what better time to capture the elusive podcast interview on...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired November 19, 2024</p> <p>It was a real magic moment to connect with Aimee Mann, a musician I’ve listened to for decades. She indulges my curiosities about lyric choices and instrumental...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired July 30, 2024</p> <p>The nephew of Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, and son of Dominick Dunne, becoming anything other than a writer feels almost sacrilegious. Yet Griffin Dunne only...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired February 11, 2025</p> <p>While Maggie Wheeler is known by millions as the iconic Janice on ‘Friends’, she has been my real-life friend for even longer. Back in the late 80s, we made our...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired August 13, 2024</p> <p>When I first met Kumail Nanjiani, we were on set on the X-Files, chasing down the shape-shifting Were-Monster. Since then, I’ve seen Kumail undergo his own...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired August 16, 2024</p> <p>Being “indie famous” is complicated, and Kathleen Hanna isn’t here to water it down. Her career making feminist punk music — most notably in the band Bikini Kill —...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired January 14, 2025</p> <p>Throughout his long and varied career, Rob Lowe has become an expert at reinventing himself. He left behind his bad-boy image from iconic 80s movies to work on a...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired October 15, 2024</p> <p>I’ve known Jason Beghe for 50 years and counting, ever since we met one fateful day in a high school biology class. I watched as this rambunctious and rebellious...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired June 18, 2024</p> <p>There are few actors left who embody the ethos of old Hollywood. Sean Penn is one of them. We got together at his place for a face-to-face exploration of Sean’s life...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired March 18, 2025</p> <p>To me, there are few sitcom characters more memorable than Steve Urkel on Family Matters. So getting to talk to the actor Jaleel White — about his approach to...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired April 22, 2025</p> <p>After an illustrious tennis career, of course Chris Evert cherishes the wins and broken records. Yet, the sting of defeat is also etched in her memory, marked by...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired February 25, 2025</p> <p>Kenya Barris, the creator of "Black-ish", knows a thing or two about resilience. Eighteen failed pilots before he finally struck gold? That's dedication — and...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired July 8, 2025. My interview with Emily was one of our most popular of 2025, so we’re playing it again to cap off the year.</p> <p>Emily Deschanel spent over a decade portraying the...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>While we’re on holiday break, I wanted to share one of my favorite conversations from 2024 — my appearance on Pete Holmes’s podcast, You Made It Weird. Pete and I dive into the big stuff: creativity, aging, family...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>This episode originally aired on November 12, 2024.</p> <p>Gillian Anderson and I share a connection unlike any other. The Dana Scully to my Fox Mulder, we are the only ones who understand what the other was going...
Episode #65
<p>John Seabrook is a journalist and author best known for his work at The New Yorker magazine. This means he didn’t go into the family business: large-scale industrial agriculture. During their heyday, Seabrook Farms...
Episode #64
<p>Sitting across from Dr. Peter Weller — another actor/author/academic like myself — I knew I was in for an engaging conversation. But as Peter explained the shape his life has taken, I saw beyond his vast...
Fail Better with David Duchovny
<p>For the Thanksgiving holiday, who better to hear from than a family who has fought hard for the communication, compromise, and comedy that fuels their daily lives? </p> <p>Don’t Listen To Us is an advice show for...
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