Project failure is no stranger but there are ways to spot it before it make headlines. Here are 10 of the most infamous product failures ever and how to spot such failures before they happen…

1. 10 Famous Failures
And 5 ways to spot a failing project before
it happens

2. Introduction
Project failure is no stranger but there are ways to spot it before it make
headlines. Here are 10 of the most infamous product failures ever and
how to spot such failures before they happen…

3. 10. Sony Betamax
It was higher quality, but the lower price of VHS-C
camcorders and the 40+ companies that decided to
run with VHS were just too much.

4. 9. New Coke
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. There was nothing
wrong with old Coke.

5. 8. Polaroid Instant Home Movies
Imagine standing around shaking a videotape or film
reels and you get why this venture from the instant
film manufacturer failed.

6. 7. Crystal Pepsi
See #9.

7. 6. McDonald’s Arch Deluxe Burger
Most adults don’t consider McDonald’s fine cuisine
and weren’t interested in paying significantly more
for only slightly different burgers.

8. 5. Apple Lisa
Apple was targeting business consumers , and the
lower price tag of IBM PCs just didn’t allow Apple
to capture much market share.

9. 4. Levi Type 1 Jeans
Fashion is fickle.

10. 3. IBM PCjr
When it was introduced, it was twice as
expensive as an Atari or Commodore.

11. 2. The DeLorean DMC-12
Despite the fact that it was a very cool car, DeLorean
himself took the company under after he was
arrested for drug-trafficking, which resulted in
bankruptcy.

12. 1. The Ford Edsel
2. There were many reasons why the Edsel
failed. Its name, for one. The Edsel story is
now a real-world example of how not to
market a product.

13. But how does this happen?
How do these types of glaring omissions get past the teams that create these
products? While the market isn’t always as predictable as we’d like it to be and
hindsight is always 20/20, failed projects like these can usually be traced to a few
factors…

14. Lack of Interest
People stop showing up for meetings. Stakeholders stop participating or giving timely
feedback. Tasks stop getting completed on time. All of these are signs that interest in a
project is flagging.
How to stop it: Keep communications as up-to-date as possible. Track all assignments.
Hold all assignees accountable. If stakeholders stop caring about a project, hold a sit-
down to determine the current perceived value of your project to the organization.

15. Poor Communication
The team doesn’t know when things are getting done. What’s not getting done, or why it’s
not getting done. The project lead isn’t communicating changes to the rest of the team.
When communications do go out, they are either late or inaccurate.
How to stop it: While email and spreadsheets are okay for getting basic information out,
they tend to be slower and more cumbersome than the typical fast-loving team needs.
Consider purchasing tools that automate communications as much as possible.

16. Lack of Velocity
Assignments are long past due, stalled on the approval of an elusive stakeholder. Maybe
team members are spending more and more time on other projects. At any rate contrary to
your best projected completion dates, your project has come to a full stop.
How to start it: See the solution to “Lack of Interest.” Accountability is especially key here.
Ensure that everyone is aware of their assignments and their due dates and then press then
to meet them.

17. A “No Bad News” Environment
The project leader finds out about late assignments long after they were due. When
project questions are emailed out, answers are slow in coming. Individual reports in
meetings are especially rosy and don’t match the chaos that seems to be engulfing a
project.
How to stop it: Let numbers rule. Let your team be ruled by a handful of key metrics that
you can track, such as on-time delivery rate. And then make sure yorutools can accurately
track those metrics in as close to real time as possible.

18. Scope Changes
The project starts to barely resemble the requirements as they were given at its outset.
Timelines have stretched beyond the original projections. The phrase, “You know what
would be really cool would be if we added ________,” is uttered during the review and
approval phase.
How to stop it: Use an airtight requirements gathering process before the project starts.
In fact, don’t even allow the project to start until you, your team, your stakeholders, and
your requestors are all on the same page. And then treat that requirements doc like a
binding contract.

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