Ask Adam Savage: When to Ask for Help on a Job 

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I've heard the story about the failed ATM student project several times. However, this is the first time he answered the question I always had - did Adam and his friend make amends? I'm really glad to hear the relationship was repaired. Thanks for adding that bit.

I feel like this should have way more thumbs ups, this advice is solid. I have problems asking for help though so this topic was made for me.

I totally agree, the only way to know when it is time to ask for help is after completely screwing something up once or twice because you didn't ask. Also people need to remember that technical knowledge is great but it never replaces practical experience. (Knowing how to do a thing does not equate to being able to do that thing)

I wonder if there would be any possibility for Adam to invite his friend Gabby (Gabi? Gabbie?) to the cave or Zoom to speak on that experience from her perspective at the time, and thinking about how important it was for her in retrospect, how she brought herself to forgive Adam, and what she might be up to currently? i think it would be amazing, if she would be willing to participate

I always refer to this as a "healthy level of paranoia".

I think your story of failure can serve as a lesson to anyone who is suffering through any sort of failure. Acceptance and the willingness to learn and change is key. Its not unlike a criminal or an addict who has harmed someone. An apology won't make it better. All you can do is move forward, having learned from the experience. As a human it's one of the most humbling and powerful things you will ever go through.

What an incredibly touching moment from you, and an incredible life lesson. And you can really see how much that impacted you. Thanks for sharing, Adam.

Good to see that side of you Adam. We all probably have a moment or two like that. Stay well.

Adam has been such an inspiration to me for a whole decade now. As I type this, I'm wrapping up the first season of a new Disney+ TV series as a carpenter, riding on the back of everything I've ever learned from Adam. Thank you Mr. Savage for being you. It would be an honor to shake your hand some day.

My second job was as a receiver in a store, and I was the only one in the department, and my boss intentionally force fed me this lesson by not letting me ask for help at all on my second week on the job, and I quickly became overwhelmed, and the whole point was to show me what happens if I try to work out of my capabilities without any help.

THIS is the most pure human emotion I have ever seen on a RU-vid video. You can tell this failure REALLY affected him to his soul, even though he learned from it and repaired the friendship he lost. Bravo Adam, Bravo

I remember Adam mentioning this event in his book and I always wondered if he ever was able to go back and at least make amends. I love that he was able to. Because that sounded like a pretty brutal end to a friendship.

As a software developer this is so true. It's too easy to bite off more than you can chew, and get stuck in the mindset "I can work my way out of this". Because when someone does help, it's humbling how some task that would take forever to figure out, can be so trivial for someone else.

That was a great answer...there is a lot of knowledge in this video. 👏 🙂 Having said that...I'm waiting for the "But I really did have food poisoning, Larry" t-shirts. 😀

Yeah, and don't be afraid to let a boss or client know your limitations and weak points, it feels like this would make them think less of you but more often than not I've gotten very positive feedback when I voiced concerns of my limitations, it makes them respect you and trust working with you. And if they chose to not hire you then it was probably for the best anyway.

His father's comments about trying to learn what he did wrong and what he will do differently next time... I was taught that there are two types of failure, Failure and True Failure. Failure is the mistake you initially make. It is Human, and necessary as part of the creative process. True Failure is not learning the lesson of the Failure to prevent it from being repeated.

What a great video, I sat my 10 year old down and made him watch it twice. Should be required viewing in school.

Baring your soul with that story Adam, thank you for your story and your honesty, I have been there.... not knowing, but with great confidence that knew what I was doing, when actually I had very little experience, and knowhow... I have learned so much with many failures. thank you for this episode.

i’m glad you and gabby made up

Thanks again for these live streams, always fun and really learn a lot of tips and life lessons from them!

Those moments are really really hard. A thought: would Gabby be willing to talk about that hard moment with you and talk about asking for help from the other end? It could help newbies in any field get a better grasp on when leaders want them to stumble and try and when to say 'uncle' and ask.

I love this story, ive heard him say it before and it moves me so much, Adam tells it in the most unflattering and honest way, its one of those stories that really makes you think

I really needed to hear this today. Thank you!

Hi Adam I hope you see this. I'm a big fan of mythbusters. I seen every episode when it aired. I couldn't wait to get home when the new episodes came on. Thanks for the entertainment.

Adam Savage for president 2024

Wow as much as hearing the fun ones is good this was still such a good video because I think this one is both helpful in making and in life 😀 I am so happy I watched adam as a kid so happy with the role model we have now .Great video again :)

I really appreciate your honest vulnerability sharing this story. You'll always be one of the most inspiring people in my life, just for being such a kind and genuine person.

I did a software job, and I was feeling pretty confident. My boss had warned me before about coding "too fast" and it was in through one ear, out the other. On this project I was assigned to it cus I was "fast".... The whole thing was a disaster from start to finish. The worst part was when I was so stressed and overwhelmed I sent a nonescence email with no attachment and my boss spoke to me and was like "What even was that?? You need to check things before you send it!" He wasnt just talking about the email, he was talking about everything. He was 100% correct, I was moving "too fast"

Sometimes I look for help on X, but people want to know the overall picture and ask what I am actually doing. I can understand why there might be better ways overall, but that doesn't always work in the process, sometimes I really just need to know X and not have to worry about another 10 ways to do the entire project. This is a massive problem in software development and I wish people would just answer the question.

What about as a manager? How do you know when you need to manage and control staff, and work with interpersonal issues, exploit staff strengths & identify weaknesses.. And well.. Soften the blow for others, with your experience, when they are sinking under pressure like you have had in the past?

Damn I wish I had a father figure like you growing up.

"Everybody learns this lesson the hard way" Damn if that ain't the truth. You can learn so many things by observing and analysing and listening, but one thing we only ever learn by being overconfident and ending up with our noses in our own shit because of it - and almost always repeatedly - is when to ask for help.

The "I got this" feeling was present when latest repair to the van started. However thankfully I have already learned the hard way when I'm out of my league to ask for help. After an hour of looking under the van knew I'd need more experienced friend.

I wonder if that Student Director saw Myth Busters for the first time and was like "That's the asshole who ruined my student film!"

I listen to this story and every time I hear it, my heart aches for you because I can still hear the regret in your voice.

I’m Virgo and it took a good long while for me to get to a point in my life where I know what my limitations are (I’m still not cool with having limitations but maybe I’ll get there eventually) so yes I can get myself to ask for help

I'm so bad at this. So so so bad at asking for help. I've been trying my best to restructure my brain for years now. At 43, it almost feels like a lost cause, but I keep trying.

It seems like such an obvious thing to say but it seems like nobody really takes it on board until it happens to them. We're not alone in this world people.

Learning to recognize your limitations and asking for help is the first step. Having a mentor to refer to and the mentor knowing when you need help and when you need to buck up, put up and show up. Bravado will take you only so far! Learning WHO you can ask is also important!

That's a powerful story. The point about uncertainty is true. When I ask someone I'm supervising if they know what they're doing on a task. The answer that worries me the most is when they say "No problem. Piece of cake."

For anyone who wants the deeper story from Adam about failure he did a talk at defcon about all of this, its on youtube and its a fantastic watch

I am amazed at how good quality questions are still being asked by the Tested viewers. At the start of the epidemic I thought "hey Adam could totally make a book of these questions and longer and thought through answers!" But now there are probably too many good questions for a single book. Still would want that book series though.

Time is really hard to figure in to a build. I'm sure people are able to build anything they put their mind to, but when they finish it is a different thing. I can paint a room faster than the average person because I have experience, but I know I couldn't paint a table top miniature in a comparable amount of time.

Touching honest story Adam. Bravo.

Thank you for the good advice. It really struck a chord with me right now. Love your show dude.

Truer words have never been spoken. I recently had to turn down a gig for a friend (I especially hate having to say no to friends), and although the gig would’ve been a fun challenge doing work I’d like to do more of (creature puppetry) I realized that the job was just too big for my skills alone, and there simply wasn’t enough money to hire others who could help me pull this off. It was sad to lose the opportunity (and not being able to be a part of my friend’s film), but avoiding the stress and sleepless nights (and possibly a drained bank account) was worth more. I’m getting too old for that shit…but it’s taken a few really tough jobs to realize it.😂

Damn man, that's a harsh way for things to go... got me tearing up 🥺

The lesson of asking for help is so huge. So many times a person can feel like they have to prove themselves on a job or they have to meet certain expectations and so push themselves beyond what they are capable of in order to try and meet some standard that they probably fabricated themselves. I can definitely remember myself in those days of trying to do too much and finally getting to the point where I had the confidence to know my limits and when I needed help and know when to delegate to others was such a huge moment in my career and really in my life. Thanks for sharing!

Blind is the man who without experience, thinks he knows it all. Even blinder is the man, who follows this man.

Thanks for sharing such a painful episode in your life. We've all had those life lessons that hit hard and it's ok to admit that we all sometimes need help.

Cool story. Would love to see Hyneman with you on one last project... easily one of the best shows there has been.

I'm glad to hear that in the end, the two of you made up.

Wow. You have wisdom. Thanks for the advice.

It takes guts to tell this. Thank you for that!

I get so much inspiration from you Adam and I know more about why that is everytime I listen to you... thank you 🍀

Thank you, Adam, you're great!

🎶"When life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door..."🎶 ~Jerry But... 🎶"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna try (Try with a little help from my friends)"🎶 ~Ringo

well said, Adam. thank you

Great advice, I wish I could give this two thumbs up! I've struggled with this my whole life and I'm still trying to realize it! Someone get Adam some Yodda ears!

I am sharing this with my kids!

Ironically, this is still fresh to me. Not long ago, this kind of drama and pure anguish happened to me, and I will never be able to go back and change things. but its as u learned those many years ago, and as how i have come to learn, we have to move on. accept our defeats, learn from our mistakes, and pray that we never ever make them again. I know that there are others out there who have been through the same, but as i can now call myself as someone who has been through the lowest of lows in my life, all of us who endure through and move on are stronger for it.

this segment should be required watching for every teenager on the planet! Yeah, I have two that know everything and can do everything by themselves, until something gets screwed up, goes wrong, is a total cluster-f**k... I don't know how many times I have to tell them "it's ok to ask for help" and especially before it goes wrong. :)

Thank you for letting us know that you made up with Gaby (Gabbie?) and for sharing these stories. I take a lot away from these life lessons.

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. (But it doesn't have to be *your* bad judgement!)

I’m sorry, Adam. I hate to say it, because it goes against your message. You’ll never know, if you never try. Spare yourself the pain. Don’t try. edit: Not to use this as any kind of absolute, but simply as an example. Why does the Doctor hurt? Why did he run? He learned too much. It’s his weight to bear for the rest of his life. I can’t do that. I can’t.

There's nothing more powerful than an accomplished and respected person remembering a moment of personal failure in an honest and humble way. Thank you for that. On the advice of having to learn when to ask for help, I'd offer another perspective. Artists tend to be the center of their own process. They use that process like a super-tool to design, build, etc. As problems pop up, as they inevitably will, they roll with it and problem solve mostly as an added process. Non -artistic managers (who have a little experience) don't do it this way. We resource plan, time manage, and work to deadlines as a set of processes wrapped around artistry, talent, and a little whip cracking. The non-artistic version builds the "asking for help" into the plan. You have to be realistic about your capabilities and consider yourself as one resource of a set of resources. Plan logically and then add 20% more time to everything. Set milestones and TRULY and honestly evaluate all along the way. You're not late when the deadline passes. You're late when you miss your first milestone. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Personally, I don't use creative people to manage processes. Let them do what they do, but a true task master / project manager is worth their weight in gold, especially if they understand other's worth and can build a plan that capitalizes on those talents. I suspect Adam isn't really a "project manager" based on his answer. No disrespect intended. I'm betting he has a process where he locks himself in a room and builds amazing shit, which is awesome. But you can learn to properly staff a project without having to learn it the hard way. Just pay attention and learn from all the little problems and you'll be okay. Just my two cents.

Hopefully soon I will be a paying member! I get everything you're saying! Hopefully you will find your way to Laughlin. We'll talk! Best always!

I like to just start each workday sobbing uncontrollably, begging for someone -- anyone -- to tell me what I'm supposed to do. Does anyone even know? What is the point! Why even come to work at all! Why get out of bed in the morning! Then I just close my eyes and start cutting. Well, that's the life of a surgeon. Excuse me, I'm arms deep into a patient.

Thoughts about video below, but I can't afford a membership so here's a question if someone needs one: Does Ballistic Jelly have a smell? And are there strange smells that you find pleasant purely because of experience that others would not? (mine is mothball/wooden drawers of insects from my museum collections job, and sweaty rubber mats at the gym) currently learning the hard way on an insect project...oops, I'm gonna have to call in reinforcements! I worked on a pair of opening and closing wings for a mothman costume last halloween, and I should have asked someone for help cause I never quite got them to work! I did end up talking to an engineering student on campus that day, but that was a costume for myself, so I just disappointed myself. I can't remember if I got this advice on this channel or somewhere else, but the advice was when you are in a relationship with someone where you owe them something, rent, time, a job, an assignment, you should be in more communication with them, not less. Hiding and hoping that you will pull it together and you will have this on your own is worse than letting people know about the problems and what you are currently doing to fix them. They can't work with you on what they don't know is happening. Texting that you're late, or that you're struggling is so much better than avoiding help and having a catastrophe.

CUSTOM LIGHT SABER!!! I think it’s been more than 90 days Adam, lol!

i don't know, screwing up and making mistakes, even ones that cost a thousand bucks, isnt enough for me to say "you screwed up and i don't want to be your friend" losing the friendship over that feels unfair and unreasonable

Absolutely lovely anecdote. Much appreciated. Side note: Anybody else think Adam’s hands routinely make him look like a Muppet?

My biggest and most fundamental learning gained when starting as a project manager and getting involved in managing delivery resonates with 'no one expects you to solve all the problems by yourself, except you." I almost derailed a critical compliance project thinking I had to solve it all by myself.

I'm a huge fan, you've inspired me on my new projects. I've been working on a nerf gun project for over a year. Soon I plan on starting my new Batman project. Thank you for being my inspiration.

I feel like this video could be used in the business world. I work in IT, and our team works really well for the most part, and when everybody is working well together it can make projects fun. When we hire new people, they are often afraid to ask for help. I might send them to this video to help them out. Thanks again for another great Q&A.

It happened to me once around a couple of years ago that I took on a job that I didn't know I couldn't handle but thought it would be easy. Thankfully my supervisor realized that about two third of the way in, and he himself offered to help me out and corrected a lot of my mistakes. the worst part was I had given a couple of somewhat costly production orders and those parts where mostly useless now aside from testing on them. I learned alot from him and with it my confidence level came crashing down. Nowadays I'm very reluctant to accepting jobs that require alot more research than usual. If I can't imagine every step of the process chances are I just say screw it I can't do it. I know that it's bad and I should take risks but I can't help it.

I remember getting a request by email from NASA to build a spaceship to carry a team to the planet Arrakis to harvest for spice. I declined the offer but now I wish I took on the job.

What is a low down?

Such great advice, I often feel myself making the mistake of not asking for help when I should.

Wow. Never seen that side of you before - the failure. From what you say, it's surprising that wasn't career ending. Really good lesson here.

Just nitpicking for the sake of authenticity. I am fairly sure Kermit plays the banjo left handed.

3 reasons to get help. 1) You need more muscle or another pair of hands. 2) You lack a specialized skill set. 3) You lack tooling that's cheaper hire versus the ROI of purchasing that equipment. I've run into all of these on multiple occasions.

I could hear in your voice the tragedy and it is the sage in you that warns us of it. It really isn't easy. My own experience deeply resonated with yours. I can't say I haven't done anything that wrong. But boy, does everyone get one of those stories if you put yourself out into the wilderness in the discovery of self. But instead of beating yourself up with that memory, know that you did the single best thing any one of us can do. You learned from it.

"If you think "this is gonna be easy and fun" life has got other plans for you" Boy did i have this feeling two weeks ago. Got a new motorcycle and it was supposed to be just fairings on and on the road, couple of hours of work... Took us three full days to get it running and a few hours on two more days to get it on the road

That is the highest value 10 minutes and 47 seconds on the whole of RU-vid. Period.

Adam looks suspiciously like the green Mint mobile mascot, or the other way around

My advice is if you are working on something and discover that you do not have the correct tool to complete the job, rather than wing it and try to improvise a tool put down what you are doing until you have the correct tool in hand. Anything else is a recipe for fucking something up of frustration the crap out of yourself.

I really appreciate your honesty about mistakes and how you've learnt from them. This and your story about imposter syndrome means a lot to me

Some of the best free advice you will ever receive in life contained in 11 minutes

It's important to know your limitations, and it's no shame to admit you need help, but it can be really hard though!!

This is a really great life story. I think everyone needs to push themselves a bit from time to time, though, and find those boundaries.

Uncertainty and confusion mean that you are doing it right .. oh yes I have become apex creature years ago :D ... I am glad they got together again in the end :D

Damn that's the sort of stuff that gets ingrained into your brain for Life. When this happens to me I'll think to back to this

I have the problem too. I never ask for help and think I have to do everything on my own. Maybe I should work on it

Love these life lessons from Adam so eloquently put ✌️

I truly feel thankful about this life wisdom droplets, Adam.

Learn from your mistakes. We all f up, just don't do it twice

What is the "loadout" in this instance? Only know it as a gaming reference.

As the saying goes, we learn more from our failures than our successes even if it isn’t nearly as fun. *hugs *