Browsing Category
Failed Companies
20 posts
Top Failed Startups and What Went Wrong
Every mobile app failure tells a billion-dollar story that Silicon Valley doesn’t want you to remember. From Friendster’s…
What Happened to Sharper Image: Gadgets, Gimmicks, and Collapse
Ionic breeze air purifiers humming in living rooms across America while massage chairs dominated mall displays. At its…
What Happened to Sbarro: Mall Pizza’s Downfall
Picture this: 800 Sbarro locations serving millions of pizza slices across shopping malls, airports, and food courts worldwide.…
What Happened to Nortel Networks: A Telecom Tragedy
In 2000, Nortel Networks Corporation was worth $366 billion and employed 95,000 people across the globe. The Canadian…
What Happened to Kodak: Missed the Digital Revolution
In 1996, Eastman Kodak Company employed 140,000 people and commanded 90% of film sales in America. The Rochester,…
What Happened to Circuit City: Why It Couldn’t Compete
In 2008, Circuit City Stores Inc employed 34,000 people across 567 locations and generated $11.6 billion in annual…
What Happened to Saab: The End of a Swedish Classic
In December 2011, Saab Automobile AB declared bankruptcy, ending 74 years of Swedish automotive innovation that had produced…
What Happened to Pan Am: The Fall of an Iconic Airline
On December 4, 1991, Pan American World Airways flight 436 touched down at Miami International Airport for the…
What Happened to Sports Authority: Why It Shut Down
Picture this: 463 stores across America, $3.2 billion in annual revenue, and a sporting goods empire that seemed…
What Happened to Quiznos: The Sub Chain That Vanished
Picture this: a toasted sub sandwich chain with over 5,000 locations across North America, pulling in nearly $2…
What Happened to American Apparel: The Rise and Fall Story
In 2014, American Apparel operated 249 stores across 20 countries and pulled in $634 million in revenue. The…
What Happened to MoviePass: From Boom to Bankruptcy
In August 2017, MoviePass achieved what seemed impossible: unlimited movie theater tickets for just $9.95 per month. Within…
What Happened to Sears: From Retail Giant to Relic
In 2007, Sears commanded a $30 billion market capitalization and operated nearly 3,500 stores across America. Just eleven…
What Happened to Jawbone: A Wearable Tech Flameout
In 2017, Jawbone, once valued at $3.2 billion and maker of the iconic UP fitness tracker, quietly vanished…
What Happened to Anki: The Rise and Fall of a Robot Startup
Vector’s tiny camera tracked your face as you walked through the room, his digital eyes lighting up with…
What Happened to Compaq: From PC Pioneer to HP Merger
In 1999, Compaq Computer Corporation commanded a staggering $38.5 billion in revenue and held the crown as the…
What Happened to Sun Microsystems: Oracle’s Big Buy
In 2009, Oracle Corporation paid $7.4 billion to acquire a company that once ruled Silicon Valley’s server market…
What Happened to Newsweek: Print Decline and Reinvention
In 1933, Newsweek commanded respect as America’s second-largest weekly newsmagazine with over 3 million subscribers and bureaus spanning…
What Happened to Tower Records: How Streaming Killed It
Picture the Sunset Strip on a Friday night in 1995. Music lovers packed into the iconic Tower Records…
Why Did Blockbuster Fail: A Lesson in Innovation Missed
In 2004, Blockbuster LLC commanded 9,000 stores across America, generated $5.9 billion in revenue, and employed over 84,000…