Obi Felten discussed why X’s employees celebrate Dia Los Muertos.
For most companies, failure is a reason for staff to be depressed, not a reason for them to throw parties.
At Alphabet’s research arm X, formerly known as Google X, however, failures are something that can be celebrated. As one of X’s top executives Obi Felten explained Wednesday during Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit in Laguna Niguel, Calif., X has instituted an annual ritual modeled after Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday when families honor their deceased relatives.