There's a "Museum of Failure" in Sweden which highlights 150+ failed products. It's meant to show that innovation requires risk-taking and failure.
Here are 10 gems you may not remember:
ESPN phone (2006)
This ESPN-branded flip phone provided grainy video highlights and 24/7 sports news. It cost $399 or "free" with a $65-$225/month plan.
It lasted <1yr, with Steve Jobs telling ESPN execs "“Your phone is the dumbest f***ing idea I have ever heard.”
Ikea a.i.r. (1980s)
Ikea took "DIY" and "transportable" to new heights with its line of inflatable furniture (a.i.r.).
Valves constantly leaked and needed re-pumping. The line did last almost a decade, though.
TwitterPeek (2009-2010)
A $200 handheld device that *only* ran Twitter. It was a disaster:
◻️You could only see 20 characters at a time
◻️Linked websites were inaccessible
◻️It only refreshed the 10 most recent Tweets
Spray-on Condom (2006-2008)
Step 1: Insert junk into spray apparatus
Step 2: Spray on melted latex
Step 3: Wait 3 minutes for it to dry
Step 4: This is the most insane thing ever seen in my life
Lifesaver Holes (early 1990s)
Honestly, this was kind of a good idea.
Lifesaver launched a product that was supposed to resemble the punched out holes from the OG circular candies. It totally flopped.
Nintendo Power Glove (1989-1990)
This was one of Nintendo's first forays into VR tech. It sold 600k units in the first 6 weeks but didn't actually do anything of note.
The hand-motion tech would later develop into the super successful Nintendo Wii controller, though.
Harley-Davidson Cologne (1996-2005)
Harley has a strong brand and merch makes up ~5% of its sales. In the mid-90s, the motorbike manufacturer got a little ambitious w/ its brand extension strategy: eau de toilette (AKA cologne).
The scent was called -- wait for it -- "Hot Rod".
Apple Pippin (1996-97)
Pre-Steve Jobs return, Apple launched a gaming console. It used Macintosh tech, so was pretty powerful...but way overpriced.
It cost $600 vs. $200 for the N64.
In a year on the market, Apple sold 42k units (N64 sold 300k on the *first* day).
Arch Deluxe (1996)
It's McDonald's largest flop.
Facing pressure from BK, McD made an "adult" burger: patty on potato-flour bun w/ lettuce leaf (not shredded), tomato + fancy mustard.
It failed after $100m in ad spend (the ad copy had children criticizing the "adult" taste).
Colgate Frozen Beef Lasagna (early 1980s)
The Museum of Failure can't confirm whether or not this *actually* existed (Colgate says "no"). If true, one of the more ludicrous product crossovers ever LOL.
Nike Magneto (1995-97)
Nike created a pair of futuristic sunglasses that didn't have temples (the part that goes over your ear).
One big catch: to wear them you had to glue frickin magnets on your face so the shades could clip on.
If you enjoyed that, I write baller business threads like this 1-2x a week.
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Here’s a CNET review of the Twitter Peek, the handheld device that *only* does Twitter (from 2009).
It’s terrible.
🔗
Coloured Ketchup (2000-06)
Heinz made a line of kid-friendly ketchup and did wild food engineering to make different colors work: Blastin Green, Funky Purple, Stellar Blue, Passion Pink, Awesome Orange, Totally Teal.
It had a short run before folding (and is objectively insane)
The best quote on failure and innovation is probably from @JeffBezos in 2016 (after a $170m write down on the Amazon Fire Phone):
Last note on Arch Deluxe.
Mcdonald’s forgot who they were (not fancy burgers). As architect of its business model said below:
A popular theory is that the size of a horse’s butt in Ancient Rome determined the size of NASA’s shuttle rocket boosters.
There are holes in the story but it's an interesting way to think about path dependence and technological lock-in.
Here’s why (and 5 other examples)🧵
Let’s start in the early 1970s: When NASA developed rocket boosters for the space shuttle, it had to plan transport from the manufacturer Thiokol (Utah) to Florida (launch site).
It would do so by rail and had to make sure the rockets could fit through tunnels of a certain size.
The standard rail gauge in America is 4 ft 8.5 inches and the smallest tunnels on the route were not too much bigger than that.
Why 4ft 8.5 inches?
The track size was set in the mid-1800s as rail was laid across the country. The process was based on English building techniques.