The Great Fail

With the latest buzz surrounding Jeffrey Katzenberg's newest venture WndrCo, raising a staggering $460 million, we thought...what better time than now to bring back an old fan favorite episode, Quibi?

Launched in April 2020 during a worldwide pandemic, Quibi was a new streaming service focused on premium short-form content. With Co-founders Jeffrey Katzenberg, former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, and Meg Whitman, former CEO of HP, having almost $2 billion in funding, the support of major Hollywood studios, and tons of A-list celebrity clout. But even with all of that, Quibi was dead on arrival, folding just after just six months. Get the full scoop on this week's episode of The Great Fail.

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On the cold morning of January 28th, 1986, anticipation filled the air as the space shuttle Challenger prepared for its 10th mission. This historic event featured Christa McAuliffe, the first civilian to join a space mission, aiming to inspire students with live broadcasts from orbit. Tragically, just 73 seconds after launch, the Challenger exploded, leaving millions of viewers in shock. In the months that followed, the Rogers Commission, led by former Secretary of State William P. Rogers, was formed to investigate the disaster. What they found would shake America's trust in NASA for years to come.

Tune in to Episode 67 of The Great Fail to hear the full story. Special thanks to Adam Higginbotham for his contributions to this segment.

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In 2015, Alex Garden, the enigmatic co-founder and CEO of Zume, unveiled an ambitious plan to revolutionize the pizza industry with advanced technology and robots. His concept caught the attention of major venture capital funds, including Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo, and SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund. With substantial funding and media attention, Zume seemed poised to transform the food industry. However, despite having all the right ingredients, what led to their downfall was so outrageous it will have you scratching your head and questioning how half-baked the management was. This is sure to be one of the most intriguing failures you've ever heard about yet.

Tune in to Episode 66 of The Great Fail to hear the full story. Special thanks to Joanna Fantozzi for her contributions to this segment.

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In the 1980s, Action Park was a summer hotspot for many in the Tri-State area, attracting visitors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Entrepreneur Gene Mulvihill sought to transform the former Great Gorge Ski Resort into his own 'Disney of Jersey'—one of the first modern American water parks. The concept was promising.

Yet, the reality took a darker turn with poorly designed rides, inexperienced staff, and unrestricted alcohol, resulting in hundreds of injuries and six deaths. These dangers left many wondering how and why Action Park could continue operating so many years without any repercussions?

Tune in to Episode 65 of The Great Fail, to hear the story. Special thanks to Seth Porges, director of Class Action Park, for his insights in this segment.

All credits and sources can be found at www.thegreatfail.com

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American wrestling, which most notably revolves around the WWE brand, owes much of its success to the influential presence of the McMahons - Vince McMahon, most of all. There is no doubt about the influence he had on wrestling and the way he turned the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan into household names, as well as his role in creating the blueprint for pay-per-view programming. However, in the wake of the legacy he has left behind, are allegations - a dirty laundry list that includes sexual misconduct and lawsuits claiming his abuse of power. For more than four decades, he was both an executive and a performer in his own show, acting as the diabolical "Mr. McMahon." But to what extent does the fiction intertwine or blur into reality?

Tune in to Episode 64 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Abraham Josephine Riesman for her contributions to this segment.

For show notes and sources, please visit: www.thegreatfail.com.

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Once at the top of the food chain, Quiznos achieved over $2 billion in sales and had nearly 5,000 restaurant chains. But just as things were heating up, the iconic company found itself in a pickle, leaving behind a very sour taste.

Tune in to Episode 63 of The Great Fail to listen to one of the most significant and dramatic restaurant collapses in American history. Special thanks to Jonathan Maze for his contributions to this segment, and a shout-out to Adweek and Acast for their support.

Sources:

A brief history of Quiznos’ collapse

The Real Reason Why Quiznos Is Disappearing Across The Country

The Quiznos Story: From Huge Success To Huge Bust

WHAT HAPPENED TO QUIZNOS SUBS?

Wikipedia: Quiznos

Quiznos – Failure Case Study

Denver-based Quiznos hit by new lawsuits from disgruntled franchisees

Three Factors That Led to Quiznos' Epic Decline

QUIZNOS: Biggest Collapse in Restaurant History?

Quiznos terminates franchisees on heels of suicide

Fast Food’s Most Unhinged Mascots Are Back

Quiznos is bringing back Spongmonkeys, its creepy rat-like mascots from 20 years ago, as the restaurant looks for a comeback

Death of a toasted sandwich salesman

How Quiznos Failed Itself By Failing Its Franchisees

Quiznos Bankruptcy May Have Roots in Long Beach Franchisee’s Suicide

The Untold Truth Of Quiznos

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A surprising announcement rippled through Silicon Valley in the Spring of 2017. A mysterious 'flying car' venture took the spotlight, fueled by rumors of Google co-founder Larry Page's involvement. A marvel of engineering, this all-electric innovation promised to reduce traffic congestion and open the skies for dreamers—a moonshot that captivated engineers, futurists, and tech enthusiasts. But over time, that moonshot started to look more like a longshot. With Page’s financial backing and abundant resources, how could this project have possibly failed? 

Hear the full story on episode 62 of The Great Fail. Special thanks for Hugh Langley for his contributions to this episode. Shoutout to Adweek and Acast.  

Sources: 

Throwback Thursday: The Rise and Fall of Flying-Car Startup Kittyhawk 

Kitty Hawk, the electric aircraft moonshot backed by Larry Page, is shutting down 

Inside the rise and fall of Kittyhawk, Larry Page's failed flying car company 

How Larry Page's flying-car company of the future turned into a stunning failure 

Kittyhawk: Employees should “blindly” trust Larry Page 

Where Kittyhawk Failed: The Case of Disruptive Technologies Case Study 

Larry Page’s Flying Car Failure Is a Lesson For Us All 

Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk air taxi startup is shutting down 

Hewlett-Packard: The Flight of the Kittyhawk (A) Harvard Case Solution & Analysis 

Inside the rise and fall of Kittyhawk 

Google co-founder’s flying car startup is winding down 

Visit https://thegreatfail.com/ for more sources!

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As a special bonus episode this week, we are spotlighting another amazing series on the Adweek Podcast Network. Hosted by Jenny Rooney, Adweek's first chief experience officer, Marketing Vanguard: the podcast, spotlights the people who are driving the industry forward. It will feature valuable, must-listen nuggets of marketing-leadership wisdom, humility, stories, strategic insights, and growth opportunities in an era of ever more complex industry pressures and realities. Together we’ll dive into what's driving the decision-makers of today to move the needle of some of the world’s most exciting brands in incremental or monumental ways.

In the world of modern business, adaptability and evolution are often paramount for success. The same holds true for the field of marketing, where Vineet Mehra, the CMO of Chime, exemplifies a career path that embodies the dynamic nature of marketing leadership.

In a recent conversation, Vineet shared insights into his professional journey, highlighting how his roles in various industries have shaped his perspective on marketing's role in the growth engine of companies.

Listen to this week's episode of Marketing Vanguard to hear how Vineet continues to drive innovation at Chime, while his journey remains an inspiration to those seeking to redefine the boundaries of marketing leadership in an ever-changing world.

Listen and subscribe to Marketing Vanguard on Apple Podcasts or find it on Spotify.

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The Wing, a pioneering and exclusive women's co-working space, shattered glass ceilings and secured over $100 million from investors, including WeWork and Airbnb, venture capitalists, and celebrity investors such as Megan Rapinoe, star of the US National Women's Soccer Team, and comedian, writer, and actress Mindy Kaling. At its peak, The Wing held a valuation of approximately $365 million, maintained 11 locations across NY, LA, Boston, and Chicago, and catered to 12,000 members with a waitlist of 9,000. But as The Wing was enjoying its ascent into stardom, its employees would soon threaten to clip the Company’s soaring wings. 

Tune in to Episode 61 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Adweek’s Olivia Morley for her contributions to this segment and shout out to Adweek and Acast for their support. 

Sources: 

Why woke women’s co-working space the Wing failed: ‘A gossipy, very toxic environment’ 

The Wing Shuts Down 

After an astonishing rise and fall, the Wing finally folds 

Perspective: The real reason the all-women workspace failed 

What Was the Wing? 

 To the extent that it’s remembered, it will be as an artifact of the Trump era. 

The girlbosses who girlbossed too close to the sun: The demise of ‘women’s utopia’ The Wing was long overdue  

The exclusive no-men-allowed club that raised $32 million from investors like WeWork just opened a brand new location — take a look inside 

The Wing CEO Audrey Gelman resigns amid employee ‘digital walkout’ 

Inside The Wing: How Cofounders Raised $2.4M To Open All-Women Social And Coworking Club 

The Wing's Chic New SoHo Space Will Make You Want to Join ASAP 

Audrey Gelman Is Stepping Down As CEO of The Wing 

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For 52 years, Bed, Bath & Beyond was the destination for high-quality home goods merchandise, top brands, and a discovery zone for home shopping that made it inspiring and fun. By January 2014, the company had operated more than 1500 stores in North America and had reached a share price of $70 dollars. Despite all the success, the company would soon become a victim of mismanagement, burdened with debt and unwanted inventory, unaware that its own fate would soon be put on layaway. 

Tune in to Episode 60 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Seth Basham for his contributions to this segment.

Sources: 

Bed Bath & Beyond Used to Be Great. These Two Are Why. 

Inside Overstock’s grand plan to reinvent itself as Bed Bath & Beyond 

All Buy Buy Baby stores losing after last-ditch deal falls through 

The $11.8 billion mistake that led to Bed Bath & Beyond’s demise 

3 key mistakes that doomed Bed Bath & Beyond 

The rise and fall of Bed Bath & Beyond, the iconic housewares retailer that has filed for bankruptcy and is closing its remaining stores 

After 52 Years, Why Bed Bath & Beyond Went Bankrupt 

What Went Wrong at Bed Bath & Beyond  

The Hidden Reason Behind Bed Bath & Beyond's Demise 

Bed Bath & Beyond and bankrupt? 

Bed Bath & the great Beyond: How the home goods giant went bankrupt 

Why is Bed Bath & Beyond failing? Reasons behind bankruptcy protection explored 

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