fail upwards

Verb

fail upwards (third-person singular simple present fails upwards, present participle failing upwards, simple past and past participle failed upwards)

1. (idiomatic, informal) To advance in one's career despite failure or incompetence.
   • I got trapped in an absurd, "failing upwards" trajectory. Heathers got me work on a bigger film called Ford Fairlane. When that movie failed, I was given a post on an even bigger film, Hudson Hawk. After that one really, really failed, I was rewarded with the assignment of Batman Returns.1994, Gail O'Donnell, Michele Travolta, Making it in Hollywood: behind the success of 50 of today's favorite actors, screenwriters, producers, and directors, Sourcebooks, →ISBN, page 139
   • In Hollywood, as in many industries, there are countless tales of people who fail upwards. It means that no matter how poorly someone performs with one project, the next one he or she will be given will be significantly greater. If a director makes a flop for $15 million, you can bet the ranch that...1997, Robert A. Berman, Fade in: The Screenwriting Process, M. Wiese Productions, →ISBN, page 216

   Synonyms:

   fail up the ladder