Why do we continue to do these?

9 min readJun 11, 2023

What lessons can we draw from these tales?

Healthcare.gov: In 2013, the launch of the U.S. federal government’s online health insurance marketplace, Healthcare.gov, was marred by technical glitches and performance issues. The website experienced difficulties in handling high traffic volumes, resulting in slow response times, error messages, and data inconsistencies. The flawed implementation led to significant public outcry and required extensive fixes to stabilize the system.

Knight Capital Group: In 2012, Knight Capital Group, a financial services firm, experienced a software glitch that caused the company to lose approximately $440 million in just 45 minutes. The glitch resulted from a faulty software update that triggered numerous unintended trades in the stock market. The incident highlighted the critical importance of thorough testing and risk management in financial software systems.

SAP and Hershey’s: In 1999, Hershey’s, the renowned chocolate manufacturer, implemented a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system from SAP. The implementation, which was intended to streamline operations and improve supply chain management, encountered significant challenges. The software glitches and integration issues led to problems with order fulfillment, resulting in missed shipments and lost sales during the crucial Halloween season.

National Health Service (NHS) IT Project: The NHS in the United Kingdom embarked on a large-scale IT project in 2002 with the goal of creating a centralized electronic patient records system. The initiative faced numerous challenges, including scope creep, budget overruns, and technical difficulties. After several years and billions of pounds spent, the project was ultimately abandoned in 2011 without achieving its objectives.

Google+: Google’s social networking platform, Google+, was launched in 2011 as a competitor to Facebook. Despite significant marketing efforts and integration with other Google services, Google+ failed to gain widespread adoption and user engagement. In 2019, Google announced the shutdown of the consumer version of Google+ due to low usage and security vulnerabilities.

Microsoft Windows 8: Released in 2012, Windows 8 aimed to provide a touch-centric interface and a unified experience across different device types. However, the radical departure from the traditional Windows interface and the lack of user familiarity led to significant criticism and confusion among users. Windows 8 was widely regarded as a failure, and Microsoft subsequently released Windows 10 to address many of the issues faced by its predecessor.

Amazon Fire Phone: In 2014, Amazon introduced the Fire Phone, its first foray into the smartphone market. Despite high expectations and the integration of Amazon’s services, the Fire Phone failed to gain traction with consumers. Its high price, limited app selection, and a lack of differentiating features contributed to its ultimate failure, leading Amazon to discontinue the product within a year.

BlackBerry 10: In 2013, BlackBerry launched its new mobile operating system, BlackBerry 10, with the hope of reviving its declining market share. Despite positive reviews for its innovative features and user interface, the platform struggled to compete against Android and iOS. The lack of a robust app ecosystem, late entry into the touchscreen market, and failure to attract app developers led to the decline of BlackBerry 10.

Google Glass: Google Glass, a wearable smart glasses device, was introduced in 2013 with much hype and anticipation. However, the product faced challenges related to privacy concerns, social acceptance, and limited practical applications. The high price, limited availability, and a lack of clear use cases contributed to the failure of Google Glass as a consumer product, although it found some success in enterprise applications.

These examples highlight the complexities and risks associated with software product implementations.

Factors such as inadequate testing, poor project management, insufficient user training, and underestimating the complexity of integration can contribute to the failure of software implementations.

It emphasizes the importance of thorough planning, effective project management, user involvement, rigorous testing, and risk mitigation strategies to increase the likelihood of successful software product implementations.

Could the following be the cause?

Lack of clear product vision: A product manager should have a clear and compelling vision for the software product. Without a well-defined vision, it becomes challenging to align the development team, stakeholders, and customers around a shared understanding of the product’s goals and direction.

Inadequate understanding of user needs: Failing to deeply understand the needs, pain points, and desires of the target users can lead to the development of a product that doesn’t address their actual requirements. Poor user research, limited user testing, or relying solely on assumptions can result in a mismatch between the product and user expectations.

Insufficient market analysis: Neglecting to conduct thorough market analysis can result in a lack of understanding of the competitive landscape, market trends, and customer preferences. Without this knowledge, it becomes difficult to differentiate the product, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions.

Reactive decision-making: Reacting to immediate demands and short-term considerations without a long-term strategy can hinder the success of a software product. Poor product managers may make decisions based on fleeting market trends or ad hoc requests without considering the overall product strategy and impact on the product roadmap.

Poor prioritization and backlog management: Ineffective prioritization of features and requirements can lead to a bloated product roadmap and an overwhelming backlog. Poor product managers may struggle to make strategic decisions about what should be included or excluded, resulting in delays, scope creep, and an inefficient development process.

Inadequate communication and collaboration: Poor product managers may struggle to communicate effectively with stakeholders, development teams, and other departments. Lack of clear communication, improper expectation management, and limited collaboration can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and a lack of alignment between different parties involved in the product development process.

Failure to define and track success metrics: A lack of well-defined success metrics makes it difficult to measure the product’s performance and make data-driven decisions. Poor product managers may neglect to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and fail to regularly track and analyze relevant metrics to gauge the product’s success and identify areas for improvement.

Lack of agility and adaptability: Failing to embrace an agile mindset and adapt to changing circumstances can hinder the product’s ability to meet evolving market needs. Poor product managers may resist change, be resistant to feedback, or struggle to pivot when necessary, resulting in a stagnant or obsolete product.

Insufficient user feedback and iteration: Neglecting to gather feedback from users and incorporate it into the product’s development cycle can result in missed opportunities for improvement and innovation. Poor product managers may not prioritize user feedback or fail to establish mechanisms for collecting and analyzing user insights.

If we ask these questions will it not help us?

What are the pain points and needs of our target customers?

How well do we understand our customers’ challenges and requirements?
Are we conducting sufficient user research and gathering feedback to inform product decisions?

What is our product’s unique value proposition and competitive advantage?

How does our product differentiate itself from competitors?
Have we identified and communicated the key benefits that set us apart?

How well are we tracking market trends and staying ahead of the competition?

Are we regularly analyzing the market landscape and identifying emerging opportunities?
Do we understand how customer preferences and technologies are evolving?

Are we effectively prioritizing features and requirements?

Are we using a clear and data-driven framework for prioritization?
Do we have a well-defined product roadmap that aligns with business goals?

How are we communicating with stakeholders, development teams, and other departments?

Are we ensuring clear and consistent communication channels?
Are expectations properly managed, and feedback actively sought and incorporated?

Are we continuously validating and iterating on our product?

Are we regularly gathering user feedback and conducting usability testing?
Are we using data and analytics to monitor product performance and drive improvements?

What metrics are we tracking to measure product success?

Have we defined relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics?
How are we analyzing and leveraging data to make informed decisions?

How agile and adaptable are our product management practices?

Are we embracing an iterative and flexible approach to product development?
Are we open to changes and willing to pivot when necessary?

Are we fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration?

Are there mechanisms in place to encourage new ideas and cross-functional collaboration?
Are we providing opportunities for continuous learning and professional development?

How are we managing the product lifecycle and ensuring long-term success?

Are we planning for ongoing product updates, enhancements, and support?
Do we have a strategy for sustaining customer satisfaction and loyalty?

Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, Have you heard about this?

Windows Vista was released to the public in January 2007 as the successor to Windows XP, with high expectations and promises of enhanced security, improved performance, and a visually appealing user interface. However, the product faced numerous challenges and received significant backlash from users and critics. Let’s delve into the details of this failed software product development story and explore what could have been done better.

Lack of compatibility and performance issues: One of the major issues with Windows Vista was its compatibility with existing hardware and software. Many users encountered compatibility problems, as drivers and applications were not properly updated or compatible with the new operating system. Additionally, Windows Vista’s performance was often criticized for being slow and resource-intensive, leading to frustrations among users.