In honor of Qwikster blowing up before it even got off the ground, PE hub released their list of 8 terrible business ideas that companies wish they could have back.
The list includes...
Qwikster (of course)
The Kin, by Microsoft
The Mcrib
The DeLorean DMC-12
The New Coke
Jay Leno's Prime time show
The Apple Newton
The HP Touchpad
see specific quotes below...
So monkeys, what do you guys think should make the list? One that I am fond of is the Sega Dreamcast, a videogame system that had sonic and...well it had sonic and was fun until the real systems came out. What else should be added?
The Kin, by Microsoft
Two years after spending $500 million for Danger, maker of the once-popular Sidekick smart phone, the fruit of Microsoft’s long, expensive effort to produce its own Kin lasted just 48 days. At least, that’s how long Kin phones were available for sale before being discontinued and possibly thrown into a giant incinerator in Redmond.
The Mcrib
McDonald’s likes to trot out this 30-year-old “innovation” for a few months every three or four years, as if to satisfy some burning need for it. The company is then quickly reminded that customers don’t go to McDonald’s for pork sandwiches and that people just find this particular number super gross.
The DeLorean DMC-12
The DeLorean DMC-12 was a jaw-dropper. Unfortunately, after eight years in production, there wasn’t much capital left when it made its debut in 1981. The car’s creator, former GM exec John DeLorean — who’s also credited with imagining the Pontiac GTO and igniting the muscle car craze of the ’60s — was even arrested in an alleged attempt to sell $24 million in co***ne to support the venture. DeLorean was acquitted a couple of years later, but it was already too late. After producing 8,900 models of the DMC, best known for its gull-wing doors and angular design, his car business imploded.
The New Coke
Coca Cola company to the world: Forget the old Coke! What you want is this “New Coke!”World: This tastes lousy. Bye, Coke.
Coca Cola company: Wait, wait! OK, OK, we’ll bring back the old Coke. And hey, because we’re listening to you, our customers, we’ll pay homage to that old Coke by calling it Coke Classic!
World: Fine, whatever.
Jay Leno's Prime time show
After nearly a year of build-up, Jay Leno’s prime-time variety show lasted from September 2010 to all of … February 2011. We all know what happened after that. #welcomebacktonightshow, #sadconan
The Apple Newton
The PDA, which debuted in 1987, was a goner by 1998. It’s no coincidence that design genius Steve Jobs — ousted from Apple in 1985 and restored as Apple CEO in 1996 — was the one to kill it.
The HP Touchpad
Usually, when a company brings back a product for “one last production run,” it’s an older product that has endeared itself to a wide base of users who want one last opportunity to buy the dream anew. Not so in the case of the HP TouchPad, an iPad competitor that was given up for dead by HP about seven weeks after its lackluster debut. In fact, it’s only because of the subsequently successful fire sale of the tablets (from $499 down to $99) that HP decide to put a few more into production.
You steppin to the Dreamcast? Nerdrage needed.
I love my Touchpad. Obsolete my ass.
I'm with you dude. I could make a great argument in favor of all 8 of those.
Apple Lisa Microsoft Zune Friendster Blackberry Playbook (not yet... but probably will be) The XFL NHL franchises in the southern US Google Wave Google Plus (not yet... but probably soon)
Now that's more like it.
re: MBAApply: google+ you think? i'll still give it some time. google wave for sure. NHL in the south agreed, move a team to Seattle!!
an oldie but goodie, for us Spanish speaking international-biz cats = the Chevy Nova being released in Latin countries has to be one of the biggest boneheaded international biz screw ups of all time.
this has a fun list http://lilomag.com/2011/01/31/top-10-failed-products/
bic underwear, Earring Magic Ken, Colgate Kitchen Entrees, smokeless cigarettes, & Microsoft webtv.. wtf
Agree with Alex that the XFL has to be number 1 on this list.
"Its like the NFL but with...well some rules are different and...yea wrestling."
Great Scott! If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eight production years... you're gonna see some serious shit.
at least we got back to the future
McRib = McAmazing
It's the best product that McD's makes.
Agreed, the McRib is amazing!
Fixed it for you.
Edit: To help my fellow believers out... http://www.kleincast.com/maps/mcrib.php
The McRib is gross. It's a piece of processed meat that has been pressed and formed into the shape of a rack of ribs, and the sauce is terrible.
Hp Touchpad bad idea? Well it's a 200% profit idea if you can get your hands on one.
$99 for the technology inside that is absurd... Despite not being able to update software.
Most people will use it won't even notice if there were software updates.
Orkut Dreamcast Game Cube ZUNE Oakley THUMP Your mom
I didn't think the Kin was a terrible idea. It was a neat phone with really poor execution. It made very little sense to have to pay for a full data plan for something that wasn't a full fledged smartphone.
How is the McRib a terrible idea? It's one of McDonald's most popular items when it is released every year. Do you mean that the food itself is a bad idea?
Don't worry, I think we were being punked. McRib was God/Allah/Buddha's gift to humanity. I'm sure Ashton is around here somewhere with the cameras.
McRib sucks the dick
I can't decide whether or not to throw shit at you for this blasphemy. I will calm down though and swallow my anger instead (No homo).
I'm sure my fellow McRib lovers and I would be willing to accept an apology. Or you can simply just say that you personally do not like the McRib. Much like Sam and his green eggs and ham.
Fine... I personally didn't care for it. I didn't think that I had to clarify that it was a personal opinion haha.
After that Simpson's episode I thought the McRib would be amazing. Meh... MEH. I'll try it again though when it comes back, hopefully it was just made by people who suck at their job.
I appreciate it! :)
Yeah, I think you must ave fallen trap to the overhyped can't meet expectations thing that happens. The Simpsons definitely made it seem a little too amazing. I hate it when that happens. Someone tells you that something was so amazing and great, and then you see/eat/read it for yourself and it can almost never meet those expectations. There's also the flip side too, which I really like happening, when you go in with such low expectations that whatever it was ends up being off the hook.
The DreamCast was a massive failure. Poor technology timing, poor product launch timing, and terribly uncomfortable controllers.
McRib is disgusting. One of my friends goes nuts whenever they relaunch it and dude has the largest belly ever.
Fixed that for you too...
Well it's not supposed to be healthy or anything. I think the FDA only recommends like 2 per week when they are released in your area.
Fuck you. The McRib is awesome.
McRib WSO group?
Another vote for the McRib being awesome. Also, the DeLorean was worth it for Back To The Future. And you clearly have never played Virtua Tennis 2 with the arcade controller on Dreamcast. Patrick Rafter ftw!!
I actually have
Don't front man. You know it was worth it... almost.
The only reason I ever wanted a NeoGeo was for Metal Slug, I've never even played KoF.
+1 for mcrib being amazing.
haters gonna hate.
dreamcast was great. too bad it was right between console generations and the ps2 blew it out of the water
As a result of this thread I just had the McRib sandwich for the first time ever today. It tasted like public high school cafeteria food--it was edible but I wouldn't buy it again.
Thank you Vtech! Now, whoever threw shit at me, speak now or forever be a wuss. I got some fresh doo doo ready for flingin'.
I didn't throw the shit. I thought we handled our differences like gentlemen. Although there were some more big McRib fans that have since posted.
VT, how did you not like it? Were you expecting too much maybe? It's not like you were going to (insert awesome steak place from Blacksburg here). You have to make sure you get extra BBQ sauce. If you don't add the extra BBQ the flavors don't blend as correctly/magically as they should.
It's funny, I think the fact that it reminds me of fraternity food and jr. high cafeteria food makes it sentimental for me. I was in jr. high back in the mid 90's, so I may be romanticizing the awesomeness (and our fraternity cook was actually really good).
Just had to let everyone know, MCRIB IS BACK NATIONWIDE!!!!! Just saw a commercial on MNF about it!
http://kleincast.com/maps/mcrib.php
Check the locator, it's everywhere!!!!!! :)
Make sure to get extra BBQ on it when you try it.
Netflix down almost -30% after-hours lol
I remember pitching this short almost a year ago... bravo if anyone had the conviction to hold this position / timed it perfectly
Newton wasn't a bad idea, it was bad execution.
Just tried a McRib again (they're back around here) with the suggestion of extra bbq sauce... was much better than I remembered, probably something that I would get every now n then, but not something I would frequent like the big mac
Nice brotha! I've had like 4 since it came back when i posted about it, but i am a homer when it comes to McRib. The extra BBQ really adds a lot and pulls it all together in my opinion. It's not for everyone, it's love it or hate it usually, but glad you thought it was better. I wonder if the specific store makes a difference at all in how good it is, in terms of how much onion or pickle they put on it, the quality of the bread, how much BBQ, etc?
More than likely... the first one I got had just barely more than the amount of sauce in the picture for this thread and much less onion and pickle than the one I just got. Some franchise owners are just cheap as shit.
Who ever said bring a NFL team to Seattle is fucking retarted. Not only do those fucking hipsters not care about sports but he obviously doesnt either because he forgot about the Seahawks.
I fucking played Tavaris Jackson in my fantasy league yesterday while I had Alex Smith and Joe Flacco on my bench. FML
You sir are an idiot.
Fuck you dreamcast haters
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