Former DocuSign CEO casts failure tolerance as a U.S. innovation edge
Keith Krach argues that America’s ability to let people fail and try again has helped turn risky ideas into lasting companies and systems.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Keith Krach, the former chairman and CEO of DocuSign, says the United States’ advantage in innovation comes in part from a culture that lets people recover from failed attempts. In a Fortune commentary published July 3, Krach tied that idea to the country’s 250th year and to his work as CEO of Freedom 250.
Krach, who also served as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, argued that many societies treat failure as a lasting mark against people. He contrasted that with what he described as an American tradition of allowing people to try again after setbacks.
His argument reaches back to the nation’s founding. Krach wrote that the Founders took on severe risk when they broke with the British Empire, with no assurance that the effort would succeed. He said that willingness to act without certainty became part of the country’s broader approach to progress.
DocuSign as a case study
Krach used DocuSign to illustrate his point. He said the company began with a straightforward goal: move agreements from paper to digital formats, allow signatures from anywhere and make the process faster and more secure.
According to Krach, the challenge went beyond building software. He said DocuSign had to change long-established habits in industries that relied on paper documents, in-person processes and manual verification.
He described periods when customer adoption was slower than expected and the company’s direction was uncertain. Krach said those setbacks did not end the effort because the company kept adjusting its model until the product gained wider acceptance.
Krach wrote that more than 1.5 billion people now use the DocuSign Global Trust Network. He framed that growth as evidence that repeated attempts after mistakes can turn an early idea into widely used infrastructure.
A warning about risk aversion
Krach also warned that public scrutiny and rapid judgment can make failure feel more costly. He argued that when people and institutions become too focused on avoiding mistakes, they are less likely to test new ideas.
In his view, the next generation’s task is not to remove failure from the process but to protect room for experimentation. He said progress depends on letting people fall short, learn from the result and continue building.
Krach connected that message to Freedom 250, which he said exists to renew that principle during the nation’s 250th year. Fortune noted that views in its commentary section belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the publication’s opinions or beliefs.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.