When Color Labs launched their highly anticipated photo-sharing app Color in 2011, it was one of the fervently hyped startups in the venture capital world. Co-Founder & CEO Bill Nguyen was equipped with everything you could ask for to launch his app: extremely deep pockets, an all-star executive team and the backing of some very influential and wealthy people. But even with all of that, Color crashed and burned before it could even get off the ground. Find out how it all went so wrong on Episode 18 of The Great Fail.

Heralded as the “Starbucks of China,” Luckin Coffee burst onto the
scene in 2018 when it opened its first location in Beijing. The Company achieved unicorn status within a year and soon became a Wall Street darling, doubling its valuation to $12 billion just 8 months after it’s IPO. The Company had been growing
at a blinding pace and had just become the largest coffee chain in China when the empire began to topple…To hear the full story tune in to Episode 17 on The Great Fail.

People tend to think that Netflix killed Blockbuster – but that’s not true. Blockbuster’s demise was actually caused by something far more self-destructive, and almost a decade after the fall of this movie rental giant, there are still misconceptions about what really occurred. Get the scoop on how Blockbuster was taken down here, on Episode 16 of The Great Fail.

American Apparel was, at one time, the fastest retail rollout in American history boasting more than 280 stores in the world’s hippest neighborhoods. The man behind the brand, Dov Charney, pioneered the radical movement for “ethically made, sweatshop free” clothing and received the most prestigious accolades. So how did this brand end in a series of disgraceful events that would send it spiraling downwards from the upper echelons of the fashion world? Get it here on Episode 15 of The Great Fail.

In 1993, Coors Brewing Company launched one of the most unique, innovative beverages of all time. Zima, a clear malt lightly carbonated alcoholic drink sold an astounding 1.3 million barrels after going national in 1994 and centered around the mystique of its quirky, yet tasteful, marketing campaign and infamous tagline, “zomething different.” But even with all the success, a series of calamitous missteps would have it getting iced out of the market in just a few short years. Get the scoop on Episode 14 of The Great Fail.

There was a time when adults and kids alike agreed that Toys R’ Us was a place of pure magic. It was the most exciting thing for a child- an experience, a destination, a privilege…and everyone wanted to be a Toys R’ Us kid.

The Company went public in 1978 and transformed the toy selling business into a $12 billion industry by 1990. In its heyday, Toys R’ Us had 180,000 different toys in almost 1500 locations around the world. Today, though, the famed brand is little more than a nostalgic memory. How did things go so wrong? Find out on Episode 13 of The Great Fail.

Once the world’s most famous airline, Pan Am was a company that created magic in the sky. The glamour and excitement of flying one of their routes was an experience cultivated by a world-class crew: experienced engineers, sophisticated stewardesses and the dashing former fighter pilots at the controls.

For a while, it seemed like Pan Am was doing everything right. So how did it vanish, so abruptly, in December of 1991? Get the behind-the-scenes story on Episode 12 of The Great Fail.

Atari kick-started the home video game console movement back in the 1970s and 80’s and paved the way for today’s gaming industry when it launched the trailblazing Atari 2600, along with several blockbuster games. It was a pop culture icon and a galvanizing force within the industry. So how did it find itself bankrupt and in a New Mexico dumpsite (literally) by 1983? Find out on episode 11 on The Great Fail.

For over 4 decades, Tower Records was a pioneer in the music industry and the bedrock of record store culture. So much more than just a business, it was run by rebels and outsiders, and radiated coolness starting from the top, where founder Russ Solomon was revered and idolized. Tower would become the mecca for music fans, swarming by the hoards, creating a generation that lived by their diehard slogan, “No Music, No Life”. At its peak, Tower was earning a billion dollars a year, with over 200 stores in 21 states and 15 countries. For decades, it seemed like the sun would never set on the iconic yellow and red letters that illuminated so many urban cityscapes. But that light, so bright and vibrant, would eventually burn out. Find out how on Episode 10 of The Great Fail.

On January 10th 2020, Chinese scientists posted the genome of a strange new virus that was beginning to spread worldwide. Within a week, virologists from Berlin quickly developed the first diagnostic test to detect this novel coronavirus and was published by the World Health Organization, as the standard method to quickly test people around the world. By February, these test kits were shipped to almost 60 countries. For some reason, the United States was not one of them. Find out why on Episode 9 of The Great Fail.