When a Great Idea Doesn’t Get a Second Chance

This is another one of my What Went Wrong? conversations, and I love these because we all have ideas that don’t turn out the way we hoped. Sometimes, they’re just bad ideas. Other times, we give up too soon. That’s exactly what happened to Nina Froriep, who had a smart, scalable concept for video production—but abandoned it after a rough first attempt. Years later, she watched someone else build a thriving business using the same model.

What Happened

Nina came up with the idea of a video assembly—a streamlined production process where multiple business owners could shoot professional videos in a single session, saving time and costs. It seemed like a brilliant, efficient approach. She lined up her first participants, booked a location, and prepped everything. Then reality hit. Clients showed up late, skipped the pre-work, or ignored the schedules entirely. The result? Chaos. A few usable videos, a ton of frustration, and an idea that never got a second chance.

Key Takeaways from Our Conversation:

Preparation Sets the Stage for Success – Nina assumed experienced business owners would come prepared, but they didn’t. In hindsight, she realized they needed more structured guidance before the shoot, including clear deadlines and rehearsals.

Investment Creates Commitment – The low-cost nature of the offer meant clients weren’t as invested. If they had paid more—or had to complete the required pre-work—they might have taken it more seriously.

Persistence Matters – Nina scrapped the idea after one frustrating attempt, only to realize later that it could have worked with some adjustments. Success often comes from iteration, not perfection on the first try.

Timing Can Be Everything – Sometimes, an idea is solid, but the execution or the market isn’t quite ready. A little patience and a few tweaks can make all the difference.

Learn From the First Failure—Then Try Again – Instead of assuming the concept was doomed, Nina could have analyzed what went wrong, adjusted, and given it another shot. Many great ideas need a few failed attempts before they take off.

The Bottom Line: Just because something doesn’t work the first time doesn’t mean it won’t work at all. The real trick is knowing when to refine and try again versus when to walk away.