The Great Fail

Space Shuttle Challenger

debchen — Fri, 24 May 2024 14:05:39 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

Space shuttle Challenger and the disaster that changed NASA forever

What Caused the Challenger Disaster?

30 Years After Explosion, Challenger Engineer Still Blames Himself

Wikipedia: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

Challenger Disaster 30 Years Ago Shocked the World, Changed NASA

The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

Chapter 5: An eternity of descent

The space shuttle Challenger explodes after liftoff

How Groupthink Played a Role in The Challenger Disaster

The Nation: NASA’s Curse?; ‘Groupthink’ Is 30 Years Old, And Still Going Strong

Special Guest

Adam Higginbotham is the author of Midnight in Chernobyl, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and the Colby Award for Military and Intelligence History; the book was named one of the New York Times’ Ten Best Books of 2019, and became an international bestseller translated into 22 languages.

His latest book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space will be published by Avid Reader Press on May 14 2024.

Higginbotham was born in England in 1968. His narrative non-fiction and feature writing has appeared in magazines including The New Yorker, Wired, Smithsonian and The New York Times Magazine.

The former US correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph Magazine and editor-in-chief of The Face, he lives with his family in New York City.

Zume’s Meltdown

debchen — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:24:53 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

Bay Area-founded pizza startup Zume reportedly shuts down after raising $445 million

Wikipedia: Zume

History of Pizza: Who Invented It, and Where?

The $500 million robot pizza startup you never heard of has shut down, report says

Zume shuts down its robot-powered pizza business

Silicon Valley’s $445 million robot pizza revolution that wasn’t

Go read this story about the failed pizzas-made-by-robots-and-cooked-during-delivery startup

A Food Tech Case Study: Four Lessons From the Demise of Zume

Why Zume Died: How Melting Cheese Burnt a $2.3B Pizza Delivery Startup Run By Robots

SoftBank-backed pizza startup shuts down after raising $445 million

ROBOT PIZZA STARTUP SHUTS DOWN AFTER CHEESE KEPT SLIDING OFF

Whatever Happened to Zume’s Pizza-Making Robots?

Essential Pizza Industry Statistics In 2024

After Raising $445 Million, Zume Pulls the Plug On Its Pizza-Making Robots and Shifts Its Focus to Sustainable Packaging

SoftBank-backed Zume is laying off half its staff and shuttering its pizza delivery business

What a Failed $428M Robot Pizza Startup Can Teach You About Practicality

Robot Pizza Company Raised $500 Million Dollars And Couldn’t Make Pies Right

$400+ million ex-pizza robot company Zume shuts down

Special Guest

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News
Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has spent close to a decade writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine.

Action Park’s Final Thrill

debchen — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 22:47:26 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

The Rise and Fall of Action Park, New Jersey’s Most Dangerous Water Park

The Thrills and Horrors of HBO’s “Class Action Park”

Remembering Action Park, New Jersey’s Deranged Theme Park, “Where You’re the Center of the Accident”

The Infamous Story of Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey

Wikipedia: Action Park

Class Action Park Is A Complex Love Letter To The Park’s Notorious Founder

How Eugene Mulvihill Built The Legend Of ‘Class Action Park’

What it was like to grow up in Action Park, which was called ‘America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park’

Traumatic License: An Oral History of Action Park

A Theme Park So Dangerous Even Donald Trump Thought It Was Nuts

Action Park: The Shocking True Story of America’s Most Dangerous Theme Park

A Brief History of New Jersey’s Deadly Action Park

Who Is Action Park Founder Eugene Mulvihill? Wikipedia and Net Worth, Is He Still Alive?

Research: How Risky Behavior Spreads

University of Cambridge: Opinion: Why danger is exciting – but only to some people

The TERRIFYING Last Minutes of George Larsson | The INFAMOUS Alpine Slide Disaster

The 12 most outrageous stories about Action Park, N.J.’s most infamous amusement park

Wikipedia: 1978 in the United States

Special Guest

Seth Porges, Director, Producer, Journalist
Seth Porges produced, wrote, and co-directed the feature documentary Class Action Park, which premiered as the number one movie on HBO Max in August 2020. He also appears on numerous television shows on the History, National Geographic, Discovery, and Travel channels; including more than 40 episodes of Mysteries at the Museum.

Previously, he worked as a senior editor at Maxim magazine, as an editor at Popular Mechanics magazine, as the technology columnist at Bloomberg News and as a writer for TechCrunch. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Porges has appeared as a guest commentator on television networks such as MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, and CNBC; as well as The Today Show. His writing has appeared in publications such as BusinessWeek, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal and Editor & Publisher.

The IN-Vince-able McMahon

debchen — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 17:01:10 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

VINCE MCMAHON TRAFFICKING LAWSUIT LABELED AS A ‘SAD FALL FROM GRACE’

Vince McMahon Cuts W.W.E. Ties After Sex Trafficking Accusation

The career rise and fall of WWE billionaire Vincent McMahon, who retired amid an investigation into alleged misconduct

Vince McMahon’s Polarizing Return To WWE Creative Is Inevitable

Vince McMahon: The Rise and Fall

Vince McMahon controls wrestling history in order to control all of wrestling

Business Owners to Learn From: Vince McMahon and the Meteoric Rise of WWE

How Vince McMahon upended the worlds of wrestling and business

The WWE knew Vince McMahon was a liability. So why did it bring him back after his scandalous departure?

How WWE’s Vince McMahon reinvented his persona, his business and American politics

With Vince McMahon down for the count, what’s next for the WWE?

How Vince McMahon Built an Empire

How Vince McMahon First Started Out In The Wrestling Business, Explained

Wikipedia: Vince McMahon

The Misunderstood History of American Wrestling

Vince McMahon wants $9 billion for his wrestling empire

Wrestlemania 39: What are the WWE rules? Are there any?

Special Guest

Abraham Josephine Riesman, Writer
Abraham Josephine Riesman is an American reporter and essayist based in Providence, Rhode Island. She is the author of two biographies, True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee (2021), and Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America (2023).

Quiznos is Toast

debchen — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 02:45:13 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

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

Special Guest

Jonathan Maze
Editor In Chief at Restaurant Business Magazine
Jonathan Maze is a seasoned journalist and currently the executive editor at Restaurant Business Magazine. He covers finance and franchising and tracks restaurant sales and performance with an eye on industry stocks. He writes the blog The Bottom Line, and also produces the podcast A Deeper Dive.

He is a regular guest in a conference call series held by Citi Investment Research and has been quoted in several publications, including the Orlando Sentinel, Yahoo! Finance, Denver Post, New York Post and the Dallas Morning News.

Kittyhawk: From Moonshot to a Longshot

debchen — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:05:02 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

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

Special Guest

Hugh Langley
Senior tech correspondent Business Insider
Hugh is a senior correspondent at Insider where he focuses on Google and tech investigations.

TGF Presents: Marketing Vanguard

debchen — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:57:14 +0000

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.

The Wings get Clipped

debchen — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:17:49 +0000

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.

Episode Resources

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

Wikipedia: The Wing (workspace)

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

Niche Coworking Company The Wing Closes After Failing To Overcome Scandals And A Fundamentally Turbulent Business Model

The Wing Closes, Citing Inability to ‘Recover and Grow’

The Wing, the once-buzzy women’s coworking community, has closed its doors

The Wing abruptly closes all coworking spaces permanently

The Wing Is a Women’s Utopia. Unless You Work There.

Special Guest

Olivia Morley
Senior Agencies Reporter, Adweek

Olivia Morley is a senior agencies reporter at Adweek focused on media agencies. Previously, she worked on Forrester’s media agency research and was an editorial strategist for Samsung’s Business Insights publication. Olivia holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and attended the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY as a visiting student. She is based in Boston, MA and is originally from Salt Lake City, UT. You can reach her on Twitter @_oliviamorley.

Bed, Bath &…Bankrupted

debchen — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:12:58 +0000

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 of 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 and shout out to Adweek and Acast for their support.

Episode Sources

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

Wikipedia: Bed, Bath & Beyond

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

Bed Bath & Beyond executive fell to death from New York tower, police say

Wife of Bed Bath & Beyond exec was in NYC apartment when he jumped: sources

Special Guest

Seth Basham
Managing Director, Equity Research at Wedbush Securities

Seth Basham has nearly 20 years of experience covering retail stocks. He is particularly adept at connecting the dots between the increases in e-commerce and the livelihood of brick-and- mortar retailers, as well as deciphering migratory shifts in purchasing patterns and their impact on retailers through detailed analysis.

Seth started his career covering the hardlines retail sector for five years at UBS and Credit Suisse and UBS, and then spent five years investing in retail and consumer stocks on the buy side before joining Wedbush in 2013. Prior to business school, Seth was a strategy consultant. Seth holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and a BA, Magna Cum Laude, with high honors in Economics from Colgate University. Seth is also a CFA charterholder.

Revlon Gets Creamed

debchen — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 19:57:29 +0000

In 1952, Revlon created one of the most iconic, paradigm-shifting ad campaigns known as “Fire & Ice,” which posed a dramatic twist on why women wore makeup. Instead of seeking male admiration, it empowered women by prioritizing their ambitions and needs. For decades, Revlon spearheaded feminism and cosmetic innovation, establishing itself as the world’s second-largest producer, with products sold in 150 countries. However, in 2022, it faced another transformative phase, resulting in Revlon’s once-vibrant prominence fading in its luster.

Tune in to Episode 59 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Robin Albin for her contributions to this segment.

What Went Wrong at Revlon

Why did cosmetic giant Revlon fail?

Revlon Proves That You Can Be Too Big To Fail

Here’s why Revlon just filed for bankruptcy—no, it’s not because of the #NoMakeup movement

Revlon, Beauty Icon In Crowded Market, Files For Bankruptcy

Revlon files for bankruptcy in US after supply chain trouble and surging costs

Revlon: makeup icon falls to social media rivals

Wikipedia: Revlon

Citigroup cannot recoup Revlon payouts after nearly $900 million gaffe: U.S. judge

Citibank can’t get back $500 million it wired by mistake, judge rules

What went wrong with cosmetics giant Revlon?

Bankrupt beauty: Lessons from Revlon’s supply chain failures

This 1952 Ad Was The First To Acknowledge That Women Wear Makeup For Themselves, Not Men

Special Guest

Robin Albin
Founder of Insurgents – Branding & Innovation Agency

When the Wheels Came Off for Schwinn Bicycles

debchen — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 19:21:26 +0000

In 1895, Schwinn was driven by the pursuit of an American dream when bicycling was still a relatively new sport. As one of the longest-standing bicycle companies, Schwinn signified influence and innovation amidst a biking craze that further catapulted their success. But over the years, it would lose its luster after a series of poor leadership decisions that led it to a dead end. Get the full story on Episode 58 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Jay Townley for his contributions to this segment.

Episode Sources

No Hands: The Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company, an American Institution by Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman

Schwinn Bicycle Company

A Short History of Schwinn: 1990s Bankruptcy though 2021

No hands: The rise and fall of the Schwinn Bicycles Company: an American institution, Judith Crown & Glenn Coleman, Henry Holt&Co.

A Rough Ride for Schwinn Bicycle

Schwinn Cycle and Fitness L.P. – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Schwinn Cycle and Fitness L.P.

Special Guest

Jay Townley
Futurist at Human Powered Solutions

Jay has over 60 years of experience in the human-powered transportation business. He was hired by Ray Burch, Vice President of Marketing at Arnold, Schwinn & Company in Chicago, and was a writer helping to develop a sales and management program and school for franchised Schwinn Dealers. He then became the Sales Promotion Manager, Director of Product Safety & Governmental Affairs, Vice President of Product Safety & Governmental Affairs, Vice President of Marketing, Vice President Bicycle Marketing, Vice President and Assistant to the President, and Vice President Purchasing from 1966 thru April 1990.

After leaving Schwinn he served as President of Giant Bicycle Company responsible for North American sales and distribution, and President of Browning Component Company before becoming a consultant and most recently joined his two partners in founding Human Powered Solutions, a consulting practice focusing on Micro-mobility and described in more detail at www.humanpoweredsolutions.com.a consulting practice focusing on Micro-mobility and described in more detail at www.humanpoweredsolutions.com.

The Downfall of Mars Hill Church

debchen — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 14:30:55 +0000

Mars Hill was a Seattle-based church led by Mark Driscoll- a beloved, endearing, powerful presence in the evangelical Christian community. He built Mars Hill into one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, with close to 15,000 attendees and an additional 260,000 viewers tuning in online every week. But behind the perfect persona, was a twisted reality waiting to be uncovered. What was revealed in its final days was a trail of abuse, fraud, intimidation, sexism, and a fall from grace that would make it one of the most spectacular collapses in Christianity today.

Listen to Episode 57 of The Great Fail to hear the full story. Special thanks to Adweek and Acast and Professor Jeremy Cohen for contributing to this episode.

Episode Sources

‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’: The abuses of a superstar pastor and megachurch ruins left behind

Lawsuit: Controversial Pastor Ran Mars Hill Megachurch Like a Crime Syndicate

WHO KILLED MARS HILL CHURCH? THERE’S ONE SUSPECT EVANGELICALS SIMPLY AREN’T PREPARED TO INTERROGATE

How a Megachurch Melts Down

Wikipedia: Mars Hill Church

Megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll was an evangelical rock star. Here’s how he fell from grace.

Wikipedia: Mark Driscoll

Special Guest: Jeremy Cohen, Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, McMaster University

Jeremy Cohen is an anthropologist of religion and an Assistant Professor at McMaster University in the Department of Religious Studies, where he teaches courses on topics ranging from cults and conspiracy theories to death and dying, and the occult. His research examines new religious movements seeking radical longevity and immortality, and the intersections of science, technology, and religion.

Jeremy has written for the Globe and Mail, The Conversation, and the Hamilton Spectator, and has been featured in the NY Post, Coast to Coast AM Radio, and Inverse Magazine. He is also the co-founder and co-editor of the death and dying resource, TalkDeath.com.

FTX – From Irresistible to Criminal

debchen — Tue, 23 May 2023 19:01:05 +0000

FTX was touted as THE cryptocurrency trading platform with its founder, visionary Sam Bankman-Fried, promising to revolutionize the industry. This once-promising Company was on path to decentralize and democratize a highly complex investment within the crypto world but by 2022, headlines that read, “Scam of the Century”, “Bank Fraud and Conspiracy”, and “Criminal Charges” pointed to a grim future. What happened and who was to blame? Listen to Episode 56 of The Great Fail to hear the full story. Special thanks to Adweek and Acast and Jason Notte from Adweek for contributing to this episode.

Episode Sources

Have celebs learned their lesson from the FTX debacle?

The rise and fall of FTX

The Collapse of FTX: What Went Wrong with the Crypto Exchange?

Tom Brady And Other A-Listers Sued For Fumbling FTX Endorsements

FTX Investors Sue Celebrity Endorsers

Celebrity Crypto-Hawkers Should Get a Close Look

Timeline: The rise and spectacular fall of FTX

SBF: THE VIRTUE WAS THE CON

Why Did FTX Collapse? Here’s What to Know.

Should Sports Stars And Celebrities Endorse Or Accept Crypto Pay After Entanglement In FTX Scandal?

Sports stars lending legitimacy to crypto firms raises ethical questions when many fans can’t afford to lose

The Fall of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried: A Timeline

Special Guest

Jason Notte
Staff Writer at Adweek

Jason is an Adweek staff writer covering the business of marketing. Jason has previously covered marketing, technology and personal finance and for TheStreet, MarketWatch and MSN Money.

Silicon Valley Bank: From Boom to Bust

debchen — Fri, 19 May 2023 14:35:33 +0000

The Great Fail kicks off Season 3 with one of the biggest failures of 2023 thus far, as we watched one of the nation’s largest banks unravel. Once a rising star in the tech industry, Silicon Valley Bank was a paragon for startup founders and venture capitalists reaching dizzying heights of success in 2020. So how did it go from boom to bust just a few short years after? Was it greed, mismanagement, or something more sinister? You won’t want to miss this riveting exploration of Silicon Valley Bank’s rise and fall.

Listen to Episode 55 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Professor Mark T. Williams for his contributions to this segment.

Episode Sources

For 40 years, Silicon Valley Bank was a tech industry icon. It collapsed in just days

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO SILICON VALLEY BANK

What Happened to Silicon Valley Bank?

The tech industry moved fast and broke its most prestigious bank

Here’s how the second-biggest bank collapse in U.S. history happened in just 48 hours

The Ugly Lessons of Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse

Why almost everyone failed to predict Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse

Fed’s Barr to Congress: SVB’s failure is ‘textbook case of mismanagement’

This is why SVB imploded, says top Fed official

FDIC says First Citizens Bank has reached deal to purchase Silicon Valley Bank

Silicon Valley Bank Collapse: Lessons for Boards

Is Moody’s Ratings Downgrade The Reason Why Silicon Valley Bank Fell?

Silicon Valley Bank: A Timeline and Summary of Events

Silicon Valley Bank’s demise began with a downgrade threat

Special Guest

LulaRoe Leggings Stretches the Law

debchen — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 14:35:35 +0000

Several legal cases were pending, culminating in January 2019, when a class-action lawsuit led by the Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson was filed against the multi-level marketing Company, LulaRoe. This one alleged that the founders of LulaRoe made false and deceptive representations regarding their business, inspiring thousands of optimistic entrepreneurs to invest their money into the lucrative venture– only to find themselves drowning in debt, mortgaging their homes, and depleting their life savings.

Though many had not yet heard of LulaRoe, this lawsuit would soon topple the billion-dollar enterprise into one of the most well-known scandals in America.

Listen to Episode 54 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Professor Kelly Richmond Pope for her contributions to this segment.

Episode Sources

LuLaRoe Was a Billion Dollar Leggings Empire Until the Lawsuits. LuLaRich Tells the Story

The Rise And Fall Of LuLaRoe’ Investigates Scandal Behind Marketing Company

The MLM LuLaRoe Has Seen Tons of Controversy — Here’s Why

Is LulaRoe Still in Business? Amazon’s ‘LulaRich’ Has Everyone Asking the Same Question

LulaRich! 9 Lessons You Can Learn From LulaRoe’s Downfall

Lessons from LuLaRich that Resellers Can Learn From

4 Shockingly Manipulative Work Moments In The ‘LuLaRich’ Documentary

‘It’s very culty’: the bizarre billion-dollar downfall of fashion company LuLaRoe

These Leggings May Ruin Your Life

LuLaRoe to pay $4.75 million to resolve AG Ferguson’s lawsuit over pyramid scheme

Special Guest

Kelly Richmond Pope
Associate Professor in the School of Accountancy and MIS at DePaul University in Chicago, IL
Founder of Helios Digital Learning, Inc.

Kelly Richmond Pope is an Associate Professor in the School of Accountancy and MIS at DePaul University in Chicago, IL and founder of Helios Digital Learning, Inc. She received her doctorate in accounting from Virginia Tech and she is a licensed certified public accountant. She worked in the forensic practice at KPMG, LLP on anti-money laundering engagements, insurance fraud investigations, and fraud risk management projects. Kelly is a recognized expert in the forensic accounting field and has conducted forensic accounting seminars around the world for universities, corporations and governmental entities.

Bikram Yoga, From Super-Heated to Overheated

debchen — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 14:05:39 +0000

Bikram Choudhury was the founder of the wildly popular hot yoga practice that many considered to cure ailments, detoxify bodies, and change lives. At the height in 2006, there were 1,650 studios in at least 40 countries, but by 2013, a series of allegations surfaced when one by one, women stepped forward with accusations that included sexual assault, rape, and abuse against the man revered as a guru. Listen now to hear about the rise and fall of the Bikram Yoga empire on Episode 52 of The Great Fail. Special guest Dave Emerson, Founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga. And shoutout to our partners at Adweek and Acast.

Episode Sources

He made a fortune from his trademarked Bikram yoga, but now his empire is in tatters

The incredible rise and fall of yogi-to-the-stars Bikram Choudhury

‘He said he could do what he wanted’: the scandal that rocked Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga’s moral dilemma

Wikipedia: Bikram Choudhury

New Netflix Documentary Shows Bikram’s Dark Side, So Why Are Yogis Still Doing It?

Bikram is Back: The Unapologetic Tour

The Horrifying Cult Origins of Bikram Yoga: Rape, Harassment and Lies

The Overheated, Oversexed Cult of Bikram Choudhury

Global Yoga Market Outlook

Special Guest

Dave Emerson
Founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Bikram Choudhury was founder of the wildly popular hot yoga practice that many considered to cure ailments, detoxify bodies, and change lives. At the height in 2006, there were 1,650 studios in at least 40 countries, but by 2013, a series of allegations surfaced when one by one, women stepped forward with accusations that included sexual assault, rape, and abuse against the man revered as a guru. Listen now to hear about the rise and fall of the Bikram Yoga empire on Episode 52 of The Great Fail. Special guest Dave Emerson, Founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga. And shoutout to our partners at Adweek and Acast.

Valeant: Death by Poison Pill

debchen — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:35:37 +0000

It was a somewhat ordinary day for David Pyott, the CEO of Allergan, back in April 2014. That is until his eyes glanced over at the TV screen in his office, where he learned that billionaire hedge fund manager and activist investor Bill Ackman was about to back the takeover of his company by way of a hostile takeover.

The acquirer was none other than the infamous and controversial pharmaceutical company, Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Valeant was a Wall Street darling and one of Canada’s largest companies. So why and how did this transaction lead to Valeant’s downfall only a year later?

Listen to Episode 53 of The Great Fail to hear the story. Special thanks to Joe Nocera for his contributions to this segment.

Episode Sources

The rise and fall of Valeant Pharmaceuticals

The Roll-Up Racket

What Valeant’s fall from grace can teach the drug industry

THE VALEANT MELTDOWN AND WALL STREET’S MAJOR DRUG PROBLEM

Valeant CEO didn’t tell investors real story about sales growth

Explaining Valeant: The Main Theories

A Buried Scandal, Shedding Of Assets, And Forthcoming Spinoff Means Substantial Upside For Bausch Health

The Demise of Valeant Pharmaceuticals: A Case Study in Rotten Culture and Business Ethics

Valeant Makes Hostile Bid For Allergan

Inside A Hostile Takeover: The Allergan-Valeant War

Wikipedia: Milan Panić

Special Guest

Joe Nocera
Business Columnist at Bloomberg

Joe Nocera is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He has written business columns for Esquire, GQ and the New York Times, and is the former editorial director of Fortune. He is the host and writer of the Bloomberg-Wondery podcast “The Shrink Next Door.”

Why the World Unfriended MySpace

debchen — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 14:35:41 +0000

Before there was Facebook, there was MySpace, once the world’s most dominating social networking company. In the summer of 2005, one of the biggest deals in internet history made headlines when News Corp., famously known as Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, acquired MySpace for $580 million in cash. In the business realm, it seemed that with the backing of the media giant, MySpace would have the world at its fingertips. And to the outside, it appeared that Myspace was going to be unstoppable. Find out how MySpace got unfriended on Episode 51 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

The Rise and Fall of Myspace

The Rise and Fall of Myspace, The Atlantic

MySpace – what went wrong: ‘The site was a massive spaghetti-ball mess’

MySpace: Why It Failed & When It All Went Wrong

Failory: Myspace

Why Did Myspace Fail And How To Avoid This In Your Startup

Why Facebook Beat MySpace, and Why MySpace’s Revised Strategy will Probably Fail

Myspace Collapse: How The Social Network Fell Apart

News Corp.’s Failed Social Experiment: Why MySpace Didn’t Deliver

The Story Behind MySpace

Wikipedia: Myspace

Facebook in Trouble: Declining Users and $230 Billion Stock Crash

News Corp. to Acquire Owner of MySpace.com, The New York Times

Special Guest

Tom Standage
Deputy Editor of The Economist

Tom Standage is Deputy Editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead. He joined The Economist as science correspondent in 1998 and was subsequently appointed technology editor, business editor and digital editor. He is the author of seven history books, including “Writing on the Wall” (2013), “The Victorian Internet” (1998) and the New York Times bestsellers “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005) and “An Edible History of Humanity” (2009). His most recent book, “A Brief History of Motion” (2021) was named an Editors’ Choice by the New York Times Book Review. Tom studied engineering and computer science at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, the Guardian and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology’s social and historical impact.

Terra: Crypto’s TERRA-ble Crash

debchen — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 14:35:45 +0000

We’re doing a special episode on cryptocurrency this week and covering what occurred in May of 2022 when the world watched as one of the biggest projects imploded. Once valued at $400 billion, the project was known as TerraUST, a stablecoin that was going to transform the crypto market and the way that traditional payments would be made in the future. Instead, investors watched as its market value dropped by almost 99% within 24 hours. What led to this death spiral and more importantly, what does the future hold for crypto investors?

Our special guest Omid Malekan, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, will break down the story in Episode 50 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

How a Trash-Talking Crypto Founder Caused a $40 Billion Crash

Terra Was Too Big to Fail, and It Failed: Bloomberg Crypto

TerraUSD’s collapse will take down every other algorithmic stablecoin, crypto analysts say

TerraUSD ‘stablecoin’ delisted from crypto exchanges

How $60 Billion in Terra Coins Went Up in Algorithmic Smoke

The Fall of Terra: A Timeline of the Meteoric Rise and Crash of UST and LUNA

The Terra (LUNA) Collapse: 4 Lessons To Be Learned (Opinion)

The Real Reasons Behind the Crypto Crash, and What We Can Learn from Terra’s Fall

Luna Crypto Crash: What Happened To Terra Luna?

Who is Do Kwon, the ‘lunatic’ who created a $60 billion cryptocurrency that collapsed in days?

Crypto investors contemplate SUICIDE and hide from friends seeking revenge for losing their life savings as currency crashes to zero

Terra LUNA Investors Lose Everything In 98 Percent Plunge, Suicide Hotline Posted At Top Of Forum

All Those Celebrities Pushing Crypto Are Not So Vocal Now

Special Guest

Omid Malekan
Professor at Columbia Business School

Omid Malekan is the Explainer-in-Chief of blockchain technology. He’s the author of ReArchitecting Trust: The Curse of History and the Crypto Cure for Money, Markets, and Platforms as well as The Story of the Blockchain: A Beginner’s Guide to the Technology That Nobody Understands. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School where he lectures on blockchain and crypto. An eight-year veteran of the crypto industry, his writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Spectator magazine, and his own blog on Medium.com. Malekan advises individuals and corporations on the intersection of the old and new.

Von Dutch, From Price Tags to Toe Tags

debchen — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 14:35:48 +0000

Back in the early 2000s, the Von Dutch ubiquitous trucker hats were seen everywhere- and their line of denim brought us the classic low-rise, sometimes frayed at the hem, sometimes with tons of bling, but never without the iconic “Von Dutch” stamped logo. That uniquely distinctive font bared the cool culture Americana aesthetic. Von Dutch’s popularity was so tremendous that in 2003, the Company was raking in $33 million in sales from their jackets, denim, t-shirts, and trucker- until the brand got hit with counterfeiting. But the story of Von Dutch isn’t just about rhinestones and rip-offs, it was a story about deception, betrayal, murder, and a scandal that would serve as the epitaph of its tombstone. Find out how it all went down in Episode 49 of The Great Fail.

Join Retail Brew’s community of retail professionals by subscribing here!

Episode Sources:

Inside The Messy, Chaotic Downfall Of Von Dutch

A New Docuseries Explores the Rise and Fall of Von Dutch

Drug fronts, murder, and Paris Hilton: the rise and fall of Von Dutch

The Untold Story of Von Dutch

Wikipedia: Von Dutch

S.C. man shot dead in Venice Beach

How Von Dutch’s Trucker Hat Empire Ended in Chaos and Death

1999 Week

Before There Was Snapchat: A Look Back At The Biggest Stars Of 1999

Special Guest:

Caroline Rothwell
Founder, Consultant / Member, THE BOARD / CMO

Caroline Rothwell Gerstein founded Caro Marketing Inc in 2004, as a consultancy for brands seeking to truly disrupt the marketplace. She became known for her “out of nowhere” success stories including the building of brand and US presence for Von Dutch, TOMS Shoes, and Paul & Joe.

In just under two decades, she has established herself as a pivotal insider, and trusted partner for those who are considering how to brand build and expand in the US. Working inside global companies, in partnership with brand houses, ad agencies, and new ventures, Caroline discovered there was a need for more strategic management, leadership and creativity beyond the CMO role to oversee and develop brands year over year.

Today, she consults brands on all aspects of marketing, creative and sales to better develop and enhance their position in the global marketplace.

Phar-Mor, From Savior to Misbehavior

debchen — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:55:39 +0000

Get ready to hear about the most scandalous retail pharmacy chain of all time that was Phar-Mor. We hear about companies and financial misconduct frequently–stories of cooked books and misappropriated funds are hardly rare, but often leave us questioning–how do companies manage to pull these off, and more importantly how do they get past trained professionals, auditors and investors? In this episode, our featured guest Professor Kelly Richmond Pope of DePaul University, a forensic accounting expert with a specialty in corporate crime, will explain how an accident exposed a $1 billion fraud and took down one of the nation’s largest retail chains. Listen now to Episode 48 on The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

Phar Too Ambitious

Wikipedia: Phar-Mor

Ousted Phar-Mor President Found Guilty in $1 Billion Fraud

PHAR-MOR SCANDAL Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

Drugstore Exec Convicted in Fraud Scheme : Crime: Phar-Mor founder could face 1,246 years in prison, millions in fines. Appeal is planned

Phar-Mor Inc. History

YOUNGSTOWN STEAL?

Mickey’s Secret Life

The Case of Phar-Mor Inc.

Phar-Mor is Phar-“No-Mor”!

Phar Mor Inc., Accounting Scandal

Wikipedia: Economy of Youngstown, Ohio

7 Worst Accounting Scandals in U.S. History

Special Guest

Kelly Richmond Pope
Associate Professor in the School of Accountancy and MIS at DePaul University
Founder of Helios Digital Learning, Inc

Mystery of the Carrian Group

debchen — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 15:47:13 +0000

Carrian Group was a tale straight out of a John Grisham novel, running the gamut of corruption, human greed, fraudulent accounting and false profits spanning across countries.

Almost four decades since the collapse of this huge conglomerate, we still don’t know the full story—but what we do know is behind this catastrophic failure stood some very fascinating characters: the prime minister of Malaysia, a charismatic CEO, government officials and high-level executives.

This wide-ranging group all aligned to create a labyrinth of business dealings that would blow up into a high-profile investigation, the murder of an auditor and a mysterious drowning, eventually ending up as one of the largest bankruptcies in Hong Kong history.

Find out how it went down on Episode 46 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

Wikipedia: Carrian Group

Carrian: End of a dark chapter in Hongkong’s financial and judicial history

The rise and fall of Carrian

The Most Scandalous Collapses in the Financial World

Malaysian Businessman Slated To Stand Trial in Hong Kong

MALAYSIA DISCLOSES DETAILS OF BANK SCANDAL

Wikipedia: George Tan

Former liquidator’s account of Carrian scandal brings key personalities to life

Dr. Mahathir Mohamad And The Murder Of Jalil Ibrahim

Remembering the Late OP Jalil Ibrahim

In memory of Jalil Ibrahim (2)

BMF Scandal : Jalil Ibrahim,The Banker Who Knew To Much

List of 1977 Major News Events in History

1970s in Hong Kong

HOW THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF AN AUDITOR IN 1983 LED TO MALAYSIA’S FIRST BANKING SCANDAL

Special Guest

Philip Bowring
Journalist, Author, Historian

Philip Bowring has been based in Asia for 39 years writing on regional financial and political issues. He has been a columnist for the South China Morning Post since the mid-1990s and for the International Herald Tribune from 1992 to 2011. He also contributes regularly to the Wall Street Journal, www.asiasentinel.com, a website of which he is a founder, and elsewhere. Prior to 1992 he was with the weekly Far Eastern Economic Review, latterly as editor.

Bowring is an honorary member of the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) who, in 2015, proclaimed, “His lifework embodies the highest standards of journalistic integrity.”

His book, The Making of the Modern Philippines: Pieces of a Jigsaw State, is available in the United States in June 2022.

How Kmart Went From Blue Light Special to Candlelight Vigil

debchen — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 15:42:42 +0000

Who doesn’t remember Kmart? At its height, Kmart was the second largest retailer in the United States, operating 2,400 stores with 350,000 employees. The company was generating around $37 billion a year in sales, ranking 2nd to Sears. But by 1990 it would see a tectonic shift, with its fortunes beginning to change. Find out how a series of missteps and poor management would bring down an American staple that had ruled retail for over 100 years. Listen now to Episode 47 on The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

Kmart’s once-iconic empire has been decimated to only four U.S. stores

Walmart v Kmart: What Led to Kmart’s Failure?

Why Can’t Kmart Be Successful While Target and Walmart Thrive?

The Demise of an Icon: Lessons to be Learned

A BUSINESS MODEL ANALYSIS OF KMART’S DOWNFALL

Wikipedia: Kmart

How Kmart Blew It

When Kmart Moved Out, Churches and Flea Markets Moved In

How to Avoid Being the Next Kmart – A Real Life Marketing Lesson

Kmart workers believe all the stores are going to be imminently shut down

Learning From Kmart’s Mistakes

The demise of Kmart: The once-great retail giant on the edge of extinction in the U.S.

End of an era: The decline and fall of the Kmart retail empire

Ex-Kmart CEO, CFO face SEC accusations

The lesson of Kmart: There is no infallibility

Eddie Lampert: The best investor of his generation

Cut-Price Chic: Six Strategies that Made Kmart Cool

What Was The Secret Behind Walmart’s Rapid Ascension to Retail Glory?

Martha Stewart clarifies Kmart comments after jab

Who is Edward Lampert: the billionaire survived kidnapping and Kmart, then came Sears

Special Guest

Mark Cohen

Director of Retail Studies at Columbia Business School

Mark A. Cohen has been in the retail business since his graduation from Columbia University in 1971. (MBA ’71, BS Electrical Engineering ’69) He has over 20 years experience in president/chairman, chief executive officer level positions. Most recently he was Chairman/CEO of Sears Canada Inc, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Softlines of Sears Roebuck & Co., Chairman/CEO of Bradlees Inc., and Chairman/CEO of Lazarus Department Stores.

He has also held positions with Abraham & Strauss, The Gap, Lord Taylor, Mervyn’s and Goldsmith’s Department Stores. He has been a Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business since 2006 teaching courses in Retailing Leadership, Retail Fundamentals, and a Master Class in Creating a Retail Enterprise. He is currently Director of Retail Studies. He also serves as an independent consultant to both the retail and consumer products industry.

The company was generating around $37 billion a year in sales, ranking 2nd to Sears. But by 1990, it would see a tectonic shift, with its fortunes beginning to change.

Jawbone- From Wearable to Terrible

debchen — Thu, 12 May 2022 11:26:58 +0000

Many regarded Jawbone as one of the pioneers in wearables. After making its mark as a Bluetooth headset maker, it pivoted to capitalize on the new and highly desirable fitness tracking market. This pivot and expansion into a hot new area allowed Jawbone to attract funding from top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firms and helped them amass a world-class board that included Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer and Warner Music Group’s COO Robert Wiesenthal. With all the funding in the place and the right team behind it, it seemed like Jawbone would be unstoppable. So how did a groundbreaking industry pioneer find itself entangled in corporate espionage, public embarrassment, and a string of unhappy customers? Get the full story on Episode 45 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

Jawbone’s demise a case of ‘death by overfunding’ in Silicon Valley

The Rise and Fall of Jawbone

Rise and fall of the Jawbone UP24: The tracker that changed wearable tech

Failed Startups: Jawbone

Jawbone: From Innovative to Insolvent

Jawbone, Once Valued at $3 Billion, Is Going Out of Business. Here’s What Went Wrong

What happened to Jawbone?

What We Can Learn from Jawbone’s Failures

Jawbone is going out of business

After burning through $1 billion, Jawbone’s Hosain Rahman has raised $65 million more

Timeline: 23 news events that led to Jawbone’s (reported) stripped-down pivot

Catastrophic Failures: Jawbone

Wearable Technology – A Brief History and a Bright Future

IDC: Wearable Devices Market Share

Investopedia: Wearable Technology

Wearables pioneer Jawbone is back with a new mission: Warning you about health problems you didn’t know you had

The History of Wearable Technology

Gaming the system: Edward Thorp and the wearable computer that beat Vegas

Feds charged six current and former Fitbit employees for stealing trade secrets from Jawbone

Special Guest

Jitesh Ubrani
Research Manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers

Jitesh is a Research Manager for the Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, including Wearables, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Tablets, and Phones. The team focuses on the market sizing, forecasting, and analyzing trends to provide insight into the competitive landscape of the worldwide mobile industry.

Prior to joining IDC in 2012, Jitesh was part of the Market Analysis and Intelligence team at Bell Mobility, one of Canada’s largest telecom service providers, where his role focused on understanding smartphone adoption and usage as well as consumer purchasing behavior.

Mr. Ubrani holds a bachelor of commerce degree with a major in Economics from Ryerson University and is currently based in Toronto, Canada.

Zillow Offers: From Flip to Flop

debchen — Thu, 12 May 2022 11:16:11 +0000

In September 2021, Sean Gotcher, a Nevada-based real-estate agent, released an infamous TikTok video that ignited a tremendous amount of attention and criticism after alluding to a real estate iBuyer that may have been fixing home prices and engaging in market manipulation. Although many claimed this to be outrageous speculation, it would be a few weeks later when Zillow announced that it was shutting down its home-flipping business, Zillow Offers, after losing $381 million. Did Gotcher’s video accelerate the collapse of Zillow’s iBuying division? Find out how it went down in Episode 44 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

https://tiktok.com/ZTduHr7gC/

What Zillow’s failed algorithm means for the future of data science

Is Zillow Offers’ failure a sign there is something wrong with the real estate market?

Zillow is no longer buying homes. What does that mean for the house-flipping market?

Zillow Torched $381 Million Overpaying for Houses. Spectacular

Wikipedia: Zillow

The $300m flip flop: how real-estate site Zillow’s side hustle went badly wrong

Zillow lost millions in the home buying market. Here’s what happened

Zillow responds to viral Tik Tok video claiming housing market manipulation

‘Don’t Buy Zillow Homes’: A Tale of Failure, Mistrust and Hot Housing Markets

Zillow iBuying: What Happened and Lessons Learned

Special Guest

Sean Gotcher
Real-Estate Agent, My Home Group.

In September of 2021, Gotcher posted a TikTok video that garnered over 3 million views with some speculating it to have led to the acceleration in the collapse of Zillow’s iBuying business.

Ayds Gets a Trim Down

debchen — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 01:34:32 +0000

Since the 1930s, Ayds was a popular appetite suppressant touted by Hollywood celebrities and starlets. Despite being a success and household name for over 40 years, Ayds would find itself at the precipice of a PR nightmare, eventually, “crowning” itself as one of the greatest product flops in history. Find out how it all went down in Episode 43 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

Giving Candy A Bad Name

Wikipedia: Ayds

Museum of Failure’s Collection: Ayds

When current events ruin a brand name

Ayds: The weight loss candy with the unfortunate name

Ayds TV Commercial: https://youtu.be/xuNB7mFaUcM

Ayds Review – 23 Things You Need to Know

A Brief Timeline of AIDS

CDC: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

A Timeline of HIV and AIDS

The U.S. Weight Loss Market 2022: Market Up 24% in 2021 – ResearchAndMarkets.com

The History of Dieting in America

11 Weirdest Diets in History

Special Guest

Frank P. DiPrima

Frank has spent two decades representing corporations as a house counsel and general counsel. He has served as a COO and CEO of public and private companies including GenDerm Corp., Western Publishing Group, Inc., Thompson Medical Company, Inc. (later called Slim-Fast Foods Corp.) and Jeffrey Martin, Inc. from 1984 to 1987.

Circuit City: Electronic Retail Giant Short-Circuits

debchen — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:59:11 +0000

The rise and fall of Circuit City is a fascinating tale full of ups and downs, when one Company paved the path and dominated the consumer electronics market only to perish after almost 6 decades.

From having the largest selections, the best prices, and the brightest talent, Circuit City went from an all-American retail success story to one of the greatest failures in corporate history. Find out how on The Great Fail, Episode 42.

Episode Sources

Eight Reasons Why Circuit City Went Bankrupt

Why Circuit City Busted, While Best Buy Boomed

The Rise and Fall of Circuit City

A Timeless Lesson Of Circuit City’s Bankruptcy: Solve The Right Problem

‘Undead’ Circuit City Won’t Rise If It Forgets What Killed It

Why Circuit City Failed, and Why B&H Thrives

What happened to Circuit City?

The Rise and Fall of Circuit City

Circuit City’s Problems Go Beyond Economy

Lessons From the Death of Circuit City

Wikipedia: Circuit City

Circuit City execs killed the company

Short-circuit City

The Rise and Fall of Circuit City

Special Guest

Alan Wurtzel

Alan Wurtzel is an American businessman, author, speaker, and philanthropist. He spent 13 years as CEO of Circuit City before retiring in 1986. He now acts as trustee for the Phillips Collection and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Wurtzel received a B.A. from Oberlin College and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He joined Circuit City in 1966 as Vice President of Legal Affairs and then was CEO from 1972 to 1986. He was Chairman of the Board from 1984 to 1994 and Vice-Chairman from 1994 to 2001. Under his leadership, the company grew to be the best performing Fortune 500 Company for any fifteen-year period between 1965 and 1995

Wurtzel was Director of Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., retiring from the board in 2009, and from 1989 to 1996, was on the Board of Office Depot. He has been an active investor in startup companies and remains on the Board of two privately held companies.

On October 9, 2012, Wurtzel released his book on the history of Circuit City, Good to Great to Gone.

Ctrl+Alt+Del, Microsoft’s Mixer

debchen — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 11:29:36 +0000

On June 22, 2020 Microsoft’s live game streaming service, Mixer, made a stunning announcement. After 4 years of building out its channel for gamers and its beloved community of streamers and fans, they were shutting down. As millions of Mixer active users, and even their own employees were blindsided by the news, it begged the question that was on everyone’s mind- how could this have happened to Microsoft, one of the most powerful and endemic gaming companies in the world?

Featuring special guest Phil Ranta CEO of Wormhole Labs, previously Head of Gaming Creators, North America at Facebook, and the Head of Creators at Mobcrush.

Episode Sources:

The rise and fall of Mixer

The fall of Microsoft’s Mixer and the fate of its exiles

MIXER FAILED — HERE’S WHY

The last days of Mixer

Microsoft shuts down Mixer, partners with Facebook for gaming streams

Mixer co-founders depart as Microsoft’s game streaming service battles Amazon’s Twitch

Microsoft will shut down Mixer on July 22, transition users to Facebook Gaming

Microsoft to close game-streaming service Mixer

Wikipedia: Mixer

New Report Explains Why Mixer Failed

WE FINALLY KNOW WHY MIXER FAILED

MICROSOFT REVEALS THE TRAGIC NEWS ABOUT MIXER

Ninja details the shortcomings, failure of Mixer

Were Ninja and Shroud the Reason Behind the Mixer Shutdown?

Mixer’s failure has left desperate streamers trapped in the void

Phil Spencer has “no regrets” over Microsoft’s Mixer failure

Were Ninja and Shroud the Reason Behind the Mixer Shutdown?

Special Guest

Phil Ranta
Chief Executive Officer at Wormhole Labs

Phil is a pioneer of the digital media revolution, working as a pre-YouTube professional web video producer in 2005, video content app creator before the smartphone revolution in 2007, an early exec in the MCN boom with two successful exits, and as the Head Gaming Creators at Facebook and Mobcrush, driving the live streaming and the creator-driven media paradigm shift. Currently, as CEO of Wormhole Labs, Phil is helping to create a live simulation of the real world created by the power of the crowd.

Previously, Phil was the Head of Gaming Creators, North America at Facebook and the Head of Creators at Mobcrush. In both roles, the departments saw significant growth working with top game streaming talent including Ronda Rousey, Disguised Toast, Corinna Kopf, Shroud, and Nate Hill, to name a few.

The DeLorean, Time Machine to Nowhere

debchen — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:43:41 +0000

The DeLorean was one of the most era-defining cars of the ‘80s. Sleek, sexy, and unconventional, this iconic car had much promise- engineering ingenuity, celebrity fanfare, and media hype. But less than a year after it rolled out its first cars, the Company would collapse in a tailspin of lies, drug scandal, bankruptcy, racketeering, criminal trials, and government conspiracies. Find out what led to the downfall of the DeLorean Motor Company on Episode 40 of The Great Fail.

Featuring our guest Barrie Wills-the only surviving executive director of DeLorean Motor Cars Limited and their longest serving employee over its entire history.

Episode Sources:

Back to the Future: The Rise and Fall of the DeLorean Motor Company

The Meteoric Rise and Fall of the DeLorean

The Rise and Fall of John DeLorean

Wikipedia: John DeLorean

Wikipedia: DeLorean Motor Company

John DeLorean Reinvented The Dream Car. Then He Totaled It.

John Z. DeLorean is arrested in $24 million cocaine deal

How John DeLorean’s Sensational Fall From Grace Affected His Family

John DeLorean’s Insane Story Of Drugs, Cars And Scandal Hits Theaters This Summer

The Short, Chaotic History of the DeLorean

The Failure Awards for defunct branding | #7 DeLorean DMC-12

DELOREAN MOTOR COMPANY – WHY DID IT FAIL ?

Major Events of 1981

Special Guest:

Barrie Wills
Automotive Specialist
Formerly, Director of Supplies/Purchasing/Director of Product Development & Supply/Chief Executive

Barrie commenced his 50-year auto-industry career as an indentured apprentice at Jaguar from 1959 to 1964. In 1968, he went on to play key roles in the creation of the Leyland National bus, the Reliant Robin, the DeLorean and the Sinclair C5.

He then founded the project management business de Montfort and has been involved either as a direct employee, interim manager or consultant to the UK Department of Trade & Industry, Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, and the European Union.

Final Buzzer for Modell’s Sporting Goods

debchen — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:46:10 +0000

On February 21, 2020, Mitchell Modell, CEO of the largest family-owned sporting goods retailer in the United States went on national TV and made a shocking announcement-he asked viewers to help save his company from financial collapse. The 130-year-old brand at one point was a fixture in the northeast U.S. as the premier sporting goods retailer. Find out how Modell’s winning streak came to an end on Episode 39 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Modell’s Sporting Goods to Close All Stores After Bankruptcy Filing

Modell’s Needs To Figure Out What It Did Wrong

Sporting-Goods Retailer Modell’s Hires Restructuring Adviser

The Name Game: Why Tai Lopez And Alex Mehr Bought Modell’s And Other Retail Brands

The Death of the Great American Sporting Goods Store

Will a CEO’s crowdsourcing plea save Modell’s Sporting Goods?

The Decline of Modell’s Sporting Goods. What Happened? 10 Marketing Tips

Modell’s to close all its remaining stores after bankruptcy filing

Wikipedia: Modell’s Sporting Goods

Modell’s CEO: ‘The landlords are rooting for us’

Modell family spars over CEO’s $7M in ‘personal’ spending

Special Guest:

Mark Ryski
Founder, CEO & Author, HeadCount Corporation

Mark Ryski is the author of two books on retail analytics, Conversion: The Last Great Retail Metric and When Retail Customers Count – books that are widely considered the definitive reference guides for the retail industry. He is also the Founder and CEO of HeadCount Corporation – the leading authority on retail traffic and conversion analysis. Founded in 1994, today Mark and his dedicated team work with retailers across virtually all categories and sizes from independents to large chains.

The Final Descent for Trump Shuttle

debchen — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 00:26:31 +0000

Leather seats, marble floors, chrome buckles, and pearl necklaces- that was just the beginning of the luxurious Trump Shuttle saga. Back in 1989, Donald J. Trump, graced the covers of Time Magazine with the byline “Young, handsome and ridiculously rich.” He had just acquired Trump Plaza and with his growing casinos in Atlantic City, was looking to further boost his business brand by adding a luxury airline to his empire. But in less than 3 years, Trump Shuttle would be seeing its final descent. Find out how on Episode 38 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Wikipedia: Trump Shuttle

The rise and fall of Donald Trump’s $365 million airline

What Happened To The Trump Shuttle?

Trump Shuttle: When President Trump Owned an Airline… and Failed

From the Trump Shuttle to Air Force One: A Self-Declared Aviation Expert

The Time Donald Trump Lost $100 Million on a Failed Airline

The Crash of Trump Air

Trump Shuttle: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Donald Trump Lied About Almost Dying In Helicopter Crash, Ex-Employee Says

3 Trump Casino Executives Killed

Special Guest:

Henry Harteveldt
Travel Industry Analyst | Board Member | Investor

Henry Harteveldt – arguably “the voice of the travel industry” – is one of the world’s most well-known, respected, and sought-after travel industry analysts and advisors.

Henry has been a travel industry analyst for more than 14 years, focusing extensively on the airline, lodging/hospitality and cruise sectors. He has published more than 125 reports on a variety of topics, including traveler behavior, loyalty marketing, eCommerce, mobile, product merchandising/retailing, and distribution.

Prior to starting Atmosphere Research, Henry spent nearly 12 years leading the global travel industry research and consulting practice at Forrester Research, Inc.. Before joining Forrester, Henry spent more than 15 years in marketing, planning, and distribution at companies such as Continental Airlines, Fairmont Hotels Management Company, and GetThere.

Henry’s honest, independent, and candid assessments have made him a globally recognized “go to” resource for journalists and bloggers who cover the travel industry – a key reason why, in May 2014, Skift was named Henry one of the travel industry’s 30 most influential “movers and shakers.” Henry regularly appears on broadcast media, including Bloomberg, CNN, and CNBC. Top-tier print media, such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Associated Press, The New York Times, USA Today, Travel Weekly and Tnooz, also seek out Henry’s perspective for their articles.

How Pier 1 Imports Sank

debchen — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 23:55:19 +0000

In its heyday, Pier 1 Imports had 18,000 employees and over 1,000 stores worldwide, bringing us the most eclectic and quirky array of home furnishing design and décor products– from love beads, exotic rattan chairs to other treasured goods. For over 5 decades, Pier 1 took the reins of the home décor retail market, never thinking that its wares would ever go out of style. Find out how Pier 1 sank on Episode 37 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

‘A mishmash of products’: What went wrong at Pier 1 Imports

The Decline of Pier 1 Imports. What Happened? 10 Marketing Tips

Pier 1 Imports is closing hundreds of its stores amid reports of an imminent bankruptcy. We visited a store and saw why the chain is struggling.

Tai Lopez explains strategy behind buying bankrupt brands

Company-Histories.com: Pier 1 Imports, Inc.

The History and Rise of Pier 1 Imports

Pier 1 Imports: From Hippie To Hip To Hell

Fallen Titans: Pier 1 Imports

Pier 1 to Liquidate After 58 Years in Business

Special Guest:

Sucharita Kodali
Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester

As Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester, Sucharita is a leading expert on eCommerce, multichannel retail, consumer behavior, and trends in the online shopping space. In her research, Sucharita covers such consumer-oriented topics as eCommerce forecasting and trends, merchandising best practices, conversion optimization, and social computing in the retail world.

Prior to Forrester, Sucharita was the director of marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue, where she managed the customer acquisition, retention, and market research efforts for the $2 billion luxury retailer’s online channel. Sucharita holds a B.A. in economics from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

MoviePass Rolls the Credits

debchen — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 23:10:20 +0000

Cinephile and film enthusiast, Stacy Spikes sought to reinvent the way people watched movies. His answer was MoviePass, a subscription-based service that allowed people to watch any movie, at any theater, at any time for one monthly fee. It was ground-breaking, well-suiting the Company to disrupt an entire industry. But what occurred next would see MoviePass topple from being a blockbuster hit to a box-office bomb. A special thanks to Stacy Spikes for sharing his experience in founding MoviePass. Get that and more on Episode 36 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

LISTEN: How MoviePass went from a Hollywood disrupter to flat broke in 18 months

Too Good To Be True: The Rise And Fall Of MoviePass

The Life, Death, and Potential Rebirth of MoviePass

The spectacular rise and fall of MoviePass

The Spectacular Rise and Fall of MoviePass

Dissecting the rise and fall of MoviePass

WHY MOVIEPASS REALLY FAILED

Why MoviePass Failed (And Was Always Going To)

Why MoviePass Failed

Special Guest:

Spikes is an American entrepreneur and former film marketing executive and producer. He is best known as the founding CEO of MoviePass, a subscription-based service for going to the movies in the United States, and founder of the Urbanworld Film Festival. Spikes has held senior executive roles at Motown Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Miramax Films, and October Films.

United Airlines: Fly the Not-So-Friendly Skies

debchen — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 14:35:59 +0000

On April 9, 2017, passengers of United Airlines Flight 3411 watched as aviation officers dragged out a fellow passenger, Dr. David Dao. He was one of the individuals involuntarily bumped off the plane after United Airlines overbooked its flight. Ripped from his seat by law enforcement officers, Dr. Dao was knocked unconscious– his glasses falling off his face, and his body dragged by the arms down the aisle, leaving a trail of blood and bodily fluids in his wake. If that wasn’t shocking enough, it was what occurred afterward that continued to shock the entire world. Tune in to Episode 35 of The Great Fail, for the public relations nightmare that was United Airlines Flight 3411.

Episode Sources:

United Airlines faces backlash after dragging man from plane

United Airlines Flight 3411: A Customer Service Meltdown

The Aftermath of United Airlines Flight 3411

Backlash erupts after United passenger gets yanked off overbooked flight

A year after the infamous United dragging incident, has anything changed for airline travelers?

United Flight 3411: A moment-by-moment timeline

What United Airlines must do after PR nightmare to win back customer

United Airlines shows how to make a PR crisis a total disaster

Munoz, on United Express flight 3411

Special Guest:

Emily Powell is a creative producer and writer for live performance and video production. She holds a master’s degree in theology and uses this training as she works with non-profit organizations, churches and ministries providing powerful spoken-word performances for herself or others.

Emily was seated next to Dr. David Dao on Flight 3411.

How HQ Trivia Crashed

debchen — Sun, 23 May 2021 21:52:01 +0000

When HQ Trivia went live in 2018, it was an instant hit, generating a tremendous amount of mass appeal and gaining an immediate cult following that went beyond anyone’s expectations. They also had the blessings of the most influential people-from the celebrity-world to the investment world. What would follow would be a set of glitches, cheating bots, internal turmoil, a toxic work environment, mismanagement of funds, and a tragic drug overdose. Get the full scoop on what led to the downfall of one of the biggest blockbuster app launches. Check out Episode 34 on The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Three Reasons Why the HQ Trivia App Failed

Game over for HQ Trivia

THE CRAZY RISE AND FALL OF HQ TRIVIA GAME | COMPANY FORENSICS

The End of HQ Trivia—and the Rise of Zombie HQ

‘Mike’s Candyshop’: Behind the Overdose Death of HQ Trivia’s Colin Kroll

The Spectacular Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia

HQ Trivia: The Rise and Fall of a Gaming Phenomenon

Millions of People Played HQ Trivia. What Happened to It?

Game over for HQ Trivia as it runs out of money

Wikipedia: HQ Trivia

Special Guest:

Alyssa Bereznak
Staff Writer at the Ringer

Alyssa Bereznak is a staff writer for theringer.com. She covers tech and culture, with a focus on media, celebrity, and how the internet is changing our lives.

XFL’s Fatal Fumble

debchen — Wed, 05 May 2021 23:30:20 +0000

When Vince McMahon announced that he would be creating a new football league– a grittier, more violent, and more entertaining version called the XFL, many seemed to think this idea would be an ultimate touchdown. When the highly anticipated, highly publicized event premiered on NBC in February of 2001, it received 54 million television viewers that weekend, the most the network had ever seen at one time. But a series of fumbles and mishaps would lead to the original XFL becoming one of the worst shows in history. Mark Perry, editor, and founder of XFL News Hub joins us this week to break it down from the club seats. Check out Episode 33 on The Great Fail.

Thank you to our partners at AdvertiseCast.
https://www.advertisecast.com/TheGreatFail

Episode Sources:

15 Reasons The XFL Was A Massive Failure Everyone Forgets About

8 Reasons Why The First XFL Failed In 2001

Why Did the XFL Fail (Twice) and What Does the Future Hold?

Top Of The News: XFL Exterminated

THE REAL REASON THE XFL FAILED THE FIRST TIME

Blimp crashes into Oakland restaurant

WHY THE XFL FAILED AGAIN

XFL 2001

Business Lessons Learned from “This Was the XFL”

Did Vince McMahon Learn Any Lessons from XFL’s Demise in 2001?

The XFL’s Failure Was a Success for the Innovation of American Football

While the XFL ultimately failed, it is an example of entrepreneurs innovating a difficult market.

This Was The XFL” Director Charlie Ebersol On Why The XFL Failed–But Might Work Now

Good, Honest Football: Re-Watching the XFL

Special Guest:

Mark Perry
Editor In Chief at XFL News Hub

Mark is the founder and editor of XFL News Hub, featuring the latest roundup of XFL News from around the web. The site was started in January of 2018, within days of the announced return of the XFL. Contact him directly by emailing mark.perry@xflnewshub.com

Archegos Capital, A Greek Tragedy

debchen — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 15:13:02 +0000

On March 26, 2021, the financial world awoke to the news that rattled some of Wall Street’s biggest players. To the outside world, and at the center of it all were some unfamiliar and obscure names– Archegos Capital and its Founder Bill Hwang. The word on the street was that Archegos defaulted on billions of dollars of loans and creating a contagion amongst some of the world’s biggest banks that now faced billion-dollar losses. What would be uncovered would become one of the most astounding and outrageous financial failures in modern-day history, which all could’ve been entirely preventable.

Thanks for our sponsors:
Mint Mobile

Bill Hwang Had $20 Billion, Then Lost It All in Two Days

Archegos Left a Sparse Paper Trail for a $10 Billion Firm

The Archegos Capital Management Meltdown: Everything You Need to Know

Archegos meltdown: What happened at Bill Hwang’s firm and how it is affecting global markets

A hedge-fund liquidation has wiped billions from Chinese and US stocks, and no one knows what’s going to happen next

Top 10 Lessons of the Archegos Collapse

Meet Bill Hwang, the man behind Archegos, the fund that sent shockwaves through Wall Street

Who Is Archegos Fund Manager Bill Hwang?

Who is Archegos fund manager Bill Hwang?

He Had $20 Billion, Then Lost It All In Two Days

Special Guest:

Leslie Picker
CNBC Reporter

Leslie Picker joined CNBC in February 2017 as a reporter covering hedge funds, private equity and asset management. She is based at CNBC Global Headquarters, and her reporting appears on television and CNBC’s digital platforms.

Previously, Picker was a reporter at The New York Times where she covered deals. Her beat encompassed mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, venture capital, private equity, restructuring and shareholder activism. Prior to The New York Times, Picker was a reporter at Bloomberg News where she reported on initial public offerings. There, she also contributed to Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio. Prior to becoming a reporter, Picker was a segment producer for Bloomberg Television. She began her career as a booker at Fox Business Network.

Picker graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. She also earned a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, graduating with honors, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, with a concentration in finance.

*Source cited on https://www.cnbc.com/leslie-picker/

Kodak: A Missed Moment

debchen — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 21:03:58 +0000

Kodak dominated the consumer photography market for over a century and their downfall seems to be obvious in their inability to adapt to the digital age. But when you look closer at the company’s history, you’ll come to see that ironically what made them so successful was what ultimately killed off the Company. John Kotter, best-selling author, and professor at Harvard Business School will help break down how Kodak was a lesson in how a series of mistakes, including the culture at Kodak, could forever damage a once picture-perfect pioneer.

Thank you to our partners at AdvertiseCast.

https://www.advertisecast.com/TheGreatFail

And special thanks to our sponsor this week:

Ping Identity Podcast

Smith A.I.

Episode Sources:

Here’s Why Kodak Failed: It Didn’t Ask The Right Question!

The Demise of Kodak: Five Reasons

Why Kodak Failed and What Entrepreneurs Can Learn

Barriers to Change: The Real Reason Behind the Kodak Downfall

How Kodak Failed

The Real Lessons From Kodak’s Decline

The Rise & Fall of Kodak

A Brief History of Kodak: The Rise and Fall of a Camera Giant

Why Did Kodak Fail and What Can You Learn from its Demise?

Kodak’s Downfall Wasn’t About Technology

KODAK SAYS 3M USED SECRETS STOLEN BY RETIRED EXECUTIVE

The moment it all went wrong for Kodak

Wikipedia: You Press the Button, We Do the Rest

Wikipedia: Kodak

THE WORLD’S FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA, INTRODUCED BY THE MAN WHO INVENTED IT

Steve Sasson invented the first digital camera in 1975 but was forced to keep it hidden

The New Kodak Moment = That Moment When You Lose Market Relevance

Special Guest:

John Kotter
Chairman of Kotter International

Regarded by many as the authority on leadership and change, John P. Kotter is a New York Times best-selling author, award winning business and management thought leader, business entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and Harvard Professor. His ideas, books, speeches, and company, Kotter International, have helped mobilize people around the world to better lead organizations, and their own lives, in an era of increasingly rapid change.

Professor Kotter’s MIT and Harvard education laid the foundation for his life long passion for educating, motivating and helping people. Today, he continues to deliver seminars in Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Programs, which are sometimes regarded as life changing by his students.

Kotter has authored 18 books to date – twelve of them bestsellers. Arguably his most popular book, Our Iceberg is Melting, was released in 2006. This New York Times bestseller helped launch to a large audience the 8-step philosophy behind Kotter International. Written as an allegory, it is a simple, yet unforgettable story about a group of penguins on a melting iceberg and the changes they undertake to survive and thrive amidst an unclear future. This story connects with a broad range of people needed to effect major organizational transformations in an easily understood, clear way. Kotter International aims to do the same. Other widely read books include A Sense of Urgency, and Leading Change, which Time magazine selected in 2011 as one of the 25 most influential business management books ever written. Professor Kotter is currently working on writing his 19th book.

Kotter’s research and pursuits in education, business and writing over the past 35 years have earned the respect of his peers, helped transform organizations around the world, touched countless lives, and still inspires others to adopt his methods and spread the word. He continues to work tirelessly to achieve the goal of “millions leading, billions benefiting”.

Theranos: A Bloody Mess

debchen — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:00:58 +0000

Theranos’s groundbreaking proprietary technology promised to revolutionize healthcare with just a drop of blood from a finger prick. The company, led by its founder Elizabeth Holmes, would raise over $900 million and become a darling in the tech community. That is until a Wall Street Journal exposé revealed a scandal that astounded and paralyzed the entire VC and medical world, unraveling the $9 billion organization. Justin Maxwell, a former employee and one of the lead designers speaks about what makes an organization toxic and why the corporate culture within Theranos was the precise environment that allowed for the cover-up of secrecy, paranoia, and deception.

Episode Sources:

Case study: Lessons learned from Theranos’ corporate culture

What Can We Learn from the Downfall of Theranos?

Beware The Hype Machine: Lessons From Theranos

6 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From the Fall of Theranos

The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos

The rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the Theranos founder whose federal fraud trial is delayed until 2021

EXCLUSIVE: HOW ELIZABETH HOLMES’S HOUSE OF CARDS CAME TUMBLING DOWN

Theranos: When a Culture of Growth Becomes a Culture of Scam

“SHE NEVER LOOKS BACK”: INSIDE ELIZABETH HOLMES’S CHILLING FINAL MONTHS AT THERANOS

THE SECRET CULPRIT IN THE THERANOS MESS

Is There Any End to Our Obsession with Elizabeth Holmes?

Elizabeth Holmes: The hypnotic tale of the rise and fall of Theranos

Why We Need to Talk About Elizabeth Holmes’s Destructive Work Ethic

Bad Blood: 5 Lessons in Company Culture from the Rise and Fall of Theranos

Wikipedia: Theranos

Keep Track Of The Theranos Scandal With This Detailed Timeline

Hot Startup Theranos Has Struggled With Its Blood-Test Technology

Meet John Carreyrou, the Reporter who Exposed Theranos and Shook Silicon Valley

Special Guest:

Justin Maxwell
Cofounder & Chief Design Officer at Smith.ai

Justin cofounded Smith.ai., helping businesses operate more efficiently by qualifying leads and triaging incoming phone & chat communication.
Prior to Smith.ai, he was a UX Lead & Manager at Google. He was Mint.com’s first “UX” hire, designed and PMed the legendary Mint for iPhone, then led UX (User Experience) and Mobile for Mint.com through its acquisition by Intuit.

In Justin’s words, he has also “had the misfortune of spending a few months as Theranos’ first Design Director in 2007-2008.” You can read all about that, including his resignation letter, in John Carreyrou’s “Bad Blood.”

Border’s Final Chapter

debchen — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 22:02:48 +0000

When Borders was founded in 1971, it was one of the most pioneering companies in the book business, quickly becoming one of the most dominant players in the space. For 40 years, it was known as one of the retail behemoths, but then came the digital age…Border’s last CEO Mike Edwards discusses what we all can learn about digital transformation, the evolution of businesses, and lessons from managing a Company on the brink of failure.

Episode Sources:

Exclusive interview with Borders CEO Mike Edwards: ‘We are here fighting to the end’

Why Borders Failed While Barnes & Noble Survived

5 Reasons Borders Went Out of Business (and What Will Take Its Place)

What Went Wrong at Borders

Wikipedia: Borders Group

Borders Closing: Why the Bookstore Chain Failed

Why Borders failed and Barnes & Noble hasn’t: 4 theories

End of a chapter for Borders

Readers Without Borders

Inside the final days of Borders’ bankruptcy — and what Mike Edwards learned as its last CEO

What Happened in 1985 Important News and Events, Key Technology and Popular Culture

Special Guest:

Mike Edwards
Independent Director
Chairperson of Digital Technology Committee, and Investment Committee Member at Central Garden & Pet

Mr. Edwards previously was an investor and served as President and CEO of Borders Inc. from 2009 until September 2011. Today he is a Director, Chairperson and Investment Committee Member at Central Garden & Pet, a business that owns a portfolio of leading brands in the lawn and garden supplies and the pet supplies industries.

McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook gets McFired

debchen — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 11:45:48 +0000

McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant company, made a shocking announcement in late 2019 when it abruptly removed its CEO Steve Easterbrook. What would be uncovered would include individual and class-action lawsuits alleging attempted rape, sexual harassment, and blurred lines spurred by the MeToo movement that would rock the corporate world and dethrone what everyone thought was the golden boy of the golden arches.

Episode Sources:

The rise and fall of ex-McDonald’s boss Steve Easterbrook

The rise and fall of McDonalds ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook – Business Insider

McDonald’s C.E.O. Fired Over a Relationship That’s Becoming Taboo

McDonald’s accused over ‘systemic sexual harassment’ of employees worldwide

McDonald’s Is Sued Over ‘Systemic Sexual Harassment’ Of Female Workers

Former McDonald’s workers sue, alleging sexual harassment

McDonald’s Facing New Charges Of Sexual Harassment

McDonald’s takes on accusations of ‘sexual harassment problem’ with lawsuit against former CEO

McDonald’s wins praise for firing its CEO but reignites scrutiny over worker complaints

McDonald’s sues ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook over alleged sexual relationships with staff members

McDonald’s Sues Disgraced Former CEO for Lying About Sexual Relationships With Employees

The firing of McDonald’s CEO won’t solve the chain’s sexual harassment problem

The ex-girlfriend of ousted McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook reveals the ‘surreal and panic-inducing’ trauma of becoming a tabloid sensation

The Saga Of McDonald’s Fired CEO Is Heating Up With New Allegations

Special Guest

Kate Taylor
Correspondent at Business Insider

Kate is a correspondent for Business Insider, covering restaurants, food, beverage, and retail. Companies that she covers include McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A. Kate previously covered food and franchises for Entrepreneur. Find her on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor.

GameStop: The Big Short….Squeeze

debchen — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 00:49:43 +0000

In January 2021, the world watched as Reddit traders faced off with Wall Street elites in a trading mania over GameStop shares. Matei Psatta, one of the traders of subreddit WallStreetBets, joins us this week to comment on what this means and why the financial markets may never be the same.

Episode Sources:

Wikipedia: GameStop short squeeze

Everything you need to know about how a Reddit group blew up GameStop’s stock

‘Dumb Money’ Is on GameStop, and It’s Beating Wall Street at Its Own Game

Reddit, GameStop And Wall Street: Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Confused about this GameStop saga? Here are the 5 things you need to know

What you need to know about GameStop’s stock price chaos

What is up with GameStop stock? Here’s what you need to know.

GameStop stock, Reddit and WallStreetBets: what you need to know

GameStop short sellers are still not surrendering despite nearly $20 billion in losses this month

What is Short Selling? This Analogy Explains Why GameStop Stock is Hurting Hedge Funds

GameStop stock explained: Here’s what short selling is and why it’s shaking up Wall Street

GameStop Explained – What happens next?

GameStop Stock Explained: Robinhood, Short Squeezes, And Reddit

Reddit WallStreetBets Founder Calls GameStop Stock Frenzy A ‘Symbolic Movement’

Special Guest:

Matei Psatta
Co-founder & CMO TPS Engage

Matei is Co-founder of TPS Engage, a global ad-tech startup making digital billboards ads data-driven, more dynamic and efficient for brands like Samsung, P&G, Coca-Cola, Uber, Jaguar, Foodpanda, Deutsche Telekom and more.

He is a Digital Native with 10 years of advertising / marketing experience in agencies (Leo Burnett / Publicis & more) and e-commerce.

Matei is a member of Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum.

Hertz So Bad

debchen — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 01:04:31 +0000

Did the 2020 global pandemic kill off Hertz? The Company’s stock price which at one time went as high as $150/share, had fallen to as low as $0.40 cents/share after it declared bankruptcy in May of 2020. At first glance it seemed like the lockdown and impact on travel demand ultimately swallowed up this iconic 102 year-old brand. However, when you peel back the layers and study Hertz’s history, you’d discover that many people over the years were holding shovels and digging the Company’s grave. Check out this week’s Episode 26, Hertz So Bad.

Episode Sources:

O.J. AND HERTZ: THE RISE AND FALL OF A RENT-A-STAR

The Cautionary Tale of the Fall of Hertz

Pandemic Only Hastened the Fall of Already-Ailing Hertz Global Holdings

“This Is Just F–king Unbelievable!”: Bankrupt Hertz Is a Pandemic Zombie

Why Hertz landed in bankruptcy court when its rivals didn’t

Former Hertz CEO Charged In Accounting Scandal

O.J., Accounting Fraud, Icahn: The Story of Hertz Going Bust

Carl Icahn lost $2 billion betting on Hertz

Why Carl Icahn’s Hertz near bankruptcy while rival Avis stays afloat

Wikipedia: The Hertz Corporation

Investing Lessons From the Failure of Hertz

What we learned – and probably didn’t learn – from the Hertz debacle

Hertz Is Still Bankrupt — And Hertz Stock Is Still a Sell

The Bankruptcy Court Has Spoken on Hertz, Now Let the Buyers Beware

Hertz, Car Rental Pioneer, Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Special Guest:

Hamzah Mazari
Managing Director at Jefferies

Hamzah is an experienced equity research analyst with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. His expertise includes equity research, banking, venture capital, options, and asset management. He received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) with a focus in Economics from Stanford University.

Wirecard’s Fall from Grace

debchen — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:15:03 +0000

Despite a global pandemic unraveling in 2020, the executives of Europe’s largest fintech company Wirecard, found themselves in precarious positions. The Company’s CEO Markus Braun was arrested for masterminding an intricate embezzlement scandal, a key executive was reported dead in the Philippines, and the COO became a wanted fugitive. Hear how the “Enron of Germany” went from being a national pride to a national shame on Episode 25 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Wirecard files for insolvency amid German accounting scandal

Wirecard: A Scandal

Wikipedia: Wirecard scandal

Timeline: the Rise and Fall of Wirecard

The rise and fall of Wirecard

Wirecard: the timeline | Free to read

Markus Braun : Storyteller Behind Wirecard’s Rise and Fall

Wirecard: Scandal-hit firm files for insolvency

Wirecard committed ‘elaborate and sophisticated fraud’ say auditors

THE LESSONS FROM THE IMPLOSION OF WIRECARD AG

‘The Enron of Germany’: Wirecard scandal casts a shadow on corporate governance

Wirecard’s case is another extreme example of corporate fraud

WIRECARD SCANDAL PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON EY; TWO OBVIOUS FRAUDS

In a German Tech Giant’s Fall, Charges of Lies, Spies and Missing Billions

Philippines Confirms Death of Ex-Wirecard Executive Bauer

Wirecard business partner reported dead in Philippines

Whistleblower warned EY of Wirecard fraud four years before collapse

The Man Who Could Explain the $2 Billion Wirecard Mystery Is Missing

Special Guests:

Dr. Marc Liebscher, LL.M.

Attorney Dr. Marc Liebscher, LL.M. (Washington, DC) specializes in banking and capital markets law, as well as bankruptcy and corporate law. He advises national and international clients in these legal areas and has extensive experience in the judicial enforcement of claims in legal proceedings.

On December 15, 2020 Dr. Liebscher, representing a large number of Wirecard investors, filed a criminal complaint against Wirecard’s auditors Ernst & Young (EY), accusing EY of missing the alleged fraud.

Milli Vanilli: A Sensational Flop

debchen — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 23:10:41 +0000

When Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus were first introduced to the world, they rose to fame instantly with their god-like bodies, model good looks and ability to rock the stage. Their first song Girl You Know It’s True came out in March of 1989, and altogether the band had 5 singles that entered the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, 3 of which went straight to #1. But no one would ever imagine that their legacy would end up in a tragedy. Check out Episode 24 of The Great Fail.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors and to our partners at AdvertiseCast.

SkillShare

Grammarly

BetterHelp

Episode Sources

30 Years Later: The Great Milli Vanilli Hoax

Milli Vanilli’s Lip-Sync Scandal: Inside One of Music’s Biggest Hoaxes

A Look Back at the Rise and Fall of Milli Vanilli 30 Years After Their Lip-Syncing Scandal

Milli Vanilli: The Rise And Fall Of Germany’s Biggest Pop Fraud

Blame It on The Tape: A Behind-the-Scenes Oral History of the Rise and Fall of Milli Vanilli

The operatic rise and fall of Milli Vanilli

Wikipedia: Milli Vanilli

The Milli Vanilli scandal was orchestrated by Frank Farian, internationally known as the founder and vocal behind Boney M

The Real Voices Behind Milli Vanilli Share Their Side Of The Lip Syncing Scandal

Milli Vanilli, Pop Music’s Original Fakes

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MILLI VANILLI?

Special Guests:

Jodie Rocco
Marketing/Social Media/Public Relations

Jodie is an experienced professional singer, songwriter, radio show host, entertainer with a demonstrated history of working in the online media industry. She is a Grammy winner, American Music Award winner. She was a former member of the band Milli Vanilli.

SkyMall’s Crash Landing

debchen — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 14:06:27 +0000

At its peak, SkyMall was a staple of airline travel with an annual circulation of approximately 20 million copies of its catalog found in the seat pockets of every major airline in the United States. Known for its whimsical and unique merchandise, it quickly won the hearts of many travelers and by 2009 had generated approximately $80.5 million in revenue, making it one of the largest e-commerce websites in the world. How did a fun, innovative company with a monopoly on its market become an internet after-thought by 2015? Find out on Episode 23 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Whatever Happened to SkyMall?

Wikipedia: SkyMall

SkyMall goes bankrupt. Did the Serenity Cat Pod fly too close to the sun?

SkyMall is Refueling for Takeoff

SkyMall’s bankruptcy had less to do with its absurd catalog than you think

SkyMall: The Strange Story of America’s Most Delightfully Weird Catalogue

The Weird, Mysterious Company Behind The SkyMall Bankruptcy

Arizona man faces federal prison in stock manipulation scheme related to SkyMall merger

6 HILARIOUS SKYMALL PRODUCTS

SkyMall: The Ultimate Catalog Business Model

Special Guests:

Brian Love

Seven Volpone

Quibi’s Sunken Ship

debchen — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:51:34 +0000

Quibi, a new streaming service focused on premium short form content, was launched in April 2020 during a worldwide pandemic. Between Co-founders Jeffrey Katzenberg, former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios and Meg Whitman, former CEO of HP, they had 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 dirt on Episode 22 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

11 reasons why Quibi crashed and burned in less than a year

Why Quibi Failed: 5 Reasons the Short-Form Streamer Sank So Fast

A look at why Quibi failed so soon after launching

Quibi Was Supposed to Revolutionize Hollywood. Here’s Why It Failed.

Quibi to Shut Down — Here’s What Went Wrong

The fall of Quibi: how did a starry $1.75bn Netflix rival crash so fast?

Why Quibi did in fact fail from ‘lack of trying’

Why Quibi Failed After Just 6 Months

Quibi Blames Failures on Coronavirus, Because Why Not?

Quibi shuts down as Hollywood tries to pinpoint what went wrong

WHY QUIBI PULLED THE PLUG

Goodbye, Quibi: Short-Form Content Platform Is Shutting Down

JEFFREY KATZENBERG’S $1.7B QUIBI FAIL: A CASE STUDY IN EGOTISTICAL LEADERSHIP

Gone in a Quibi: A case for anthropology in business?

In 3 Words, Quibi’s Co-Founder Shows Entrepreneurs How to Handle Failure

Quibi, the billion-dollar failure

Quibi’s top executives are ready to blame themselves, not just the pandemic, for Quibi failing

“A Bottomless Need to Win”: How Quibi’s Implosion Shapes Katzenberg’s Legacy and Future

Quibi: The Fatal Miscalculation That Doomed Katzenberg And Whitman’s Streamer

Jeffrey Katzenberg admits Quibi’s failure wasn’t entirely COVID’s fault

Quibi, Short-Form Streaming Service, Quickly Shuts Down

Quibi Gave Media Giants Lesson: Quick Bites Aren’t Sure Hits

Quibi is Now Available on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV

Special Guest:

Kim Masters
Editor-at-Large of The Hollywood Reporter

Kim Masters is editor-at-large of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW’s The Business. A former correspondent for NPR, she has also served as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, TIME and Esquire, and was a staff reporter for The Washington Post. She is the author of The Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise of Michael Eisner and the Fall of Everybody Else, and co-author (with Nancy Griffin) of Hit & Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood. Masters was named Entertainment Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club in 2001 and Print Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club in 2012. The Business received Gracie Awards for Outstanding Talk Show in 2012 and 2014. In 2018, the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists gave Masters its Distinguished Journalist Award.

Ahiza García-Hodges
Reporter at NBC News

Ahiza Garcia is a reporter at NBC News. She previously reported for CNN Business where she spent nearly five years covering sports business, tech and general business news. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbia University. She also has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism, with a sports communication emphasis, from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She has covered a wide array of topics, including sports business, politics and general news.

Motorola’s Dead Zone

debchen — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 11:37:41 +0000

The rise and fall of the iconic Motorola was on so many levels, heart-wrenching. Once pioneers of all things radio, Motorola paved the way for set-top boxes, modems, DVRs, semiconductors and then after that, mobile phones. In 2004, the unveiling of their Razr created a media frenzy, selling more phones than any other mobile handsets at that time. So how was this remarkable, trailblazing brand condemned to a slow death that eventually bled decay across its entire organization? Listen to Episode 21 of The Great Fail to find out.

Episode Sources:

Motorola- The rise and fall of one of the biggest company

The rise and fall of Motorola

The rise and fall of Motorola and what we should know

How BlackBerry went from controlling the smartphone market to a phone of the past

The Fall and Rise Of Motorola

Motorola’s Road to Irrelevancy – Focusing on Its Core

Motorola CEO: Failure was our fault, not economy

10 reasons why Motorola failed

Wikipedia: Motorola

Motorola in Trouble

What killed Motorola? Not Google! It was Moto’s dire software

MOTOROLA DIES AS OWNER LENOVO KILLS THE BRAND THAT MADE THE FLIP PHONE

10 Interesting Facts You Did Not Know About Motorola

Motorola Sucks & You Shouldn’t Buy Their Phones

Icahn: Motorola could split patents and handsets

Special Guest:

Jonathan Ruff
Co-Founder and Partner at SYNIMA Group

Jonathan Ruff is co-founder and Partner of SYNIMA Group, a boutique marketing consultancy; delivering vision, purpose and meaning for its clients, supporting and enhancing business growth and attracting investors. Most recently he has been responsible for positioning ARRIS’s global products and solutions in broadband, video and wireless. His career has included senior marketing and product leadership roles for global Fortune 100 companies such as British Aerospace, Motorola and Google. His broad industry experience includes working in electronic warfare, mobile networks, mobile device applications and software, Wi-Fi, broadband networking and video distribution, developing first-to-market product and solution within each sector. In addition to marketing new ideas, Jonathan is an avid photographer. He combined his love of photography with mobile technology product marketing to help lead Motorola’s first camera phone offering.

The Dunbar Heist: The Perfect Crime….Almost

debchen — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:04:03 +0000

Welcome to a Special 20^th episode edition. On September 13, 1997, 6 men pulled off the biggest cash heist in American history. In less than 30 minutes, they made their way into the Dunbar Armored facility and walked away with $18.9 million, leaving behind no evidence or clues. For years it seemed like the cleanest job anyone could have hoped for, and the case began to turn cold. But then one man’s misstep ruined what could’ve been the perfect crime. Find out how on this week’s episode of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Dunbar Robbery Movie in the Works From Caleeb Pinkett (EXCLUSIVE)

Medium: The Dunbar Heist

‘The Dunbar Heist’: Caleeb Pinkett To Produce Film About The Biggest Cash Heist In U.S. History

Wikipedia: Dunbar Armored robbery

Masterminds: The Dunbar Heist

Special Guest:

Tim Wolochatiuk

Tim Wolochatiuk is an award-winning producer/director who has traveled the globe for international broadcasters and production companies around the world.

From hit series Nazi Hunters and Mayday/Air Emergency to hard-hitting one- offs such as Impact of Terror (CNN and CBC), Tim is a highly regarded veteran recognized for tackling tough subjects in both drama-docs and feature length specials including We Were Children, Jonestown: Paradise

In the summer of 2013, Wolochatiuk worked for the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on an innovative project to spotlight the Syrian Refugee crisis. As Producer/Director, Wolochatiuk filmed for a month in Al Zaatari, the largest Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. Cameras followed the flow of refugees from southern Syrian into Jordan. Featuring UN Special Ambassador Angelina Jolie, the highly successful web-series was released on Yahoo US, Canada, UK, Spain, Germany and several other countries. The series was nominated for two International ONLINE MEDIA AWARDS in the categories of Best Journalism and InvestigativeReporting.

In 2018, Wolochatiuk directed a feature length special to commemorate the centennial of WW1. 100 Days to Victory was a Canadian/Australian co-pro for BBC2, Corus Entertainment and Foxtel and Tim is nominated for a 2019 Canadian Screen Award (CSA) for Direction and the program is nominated for Best History series. Wolochatiuk is currently the drama director on Mayday/Air Emergency and has helmed the hit series, now in it’s 20th season, for the last 8 years.

Wolochatiuk is currently developing a scripted feature based on an original idea. He resides in Toronto, Canada with his wife and two daughters.

The Slaying of Echo Fox

debchen — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 14:47:48 +0000

When Echo Fox burst into the world of eSports, it was a glowing beacon – a shining example of what the burgeoning world of competitive gaming could look like. It was the first celebrity-driven team, managed by pro-athletes that understood the parallels between sports and gaming. But that promise soon vanished into thin air, consumed by lawsuits, restraining orders, death threats and drug-fueled parties. Get the play-by-play on Episode 19 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources:

Wikipedia: Echo Fox

Rick Fox to TMZ: Either ‘racist’ investor leaves Echo Fox, or I will

Echo Fox loses its pro ‘League of Legends’ franchise spot

Echo Fox to exit from the League of Legends Championship Series in ‘big blow’ to esports

Esports Team Echo Fox Lays Off All ‘League of Legends’ Players Amid Financial Dispute

What exactly happened during the Clutch Gaming vs Echo Fox match?

Racism accusations rock esports team Echo Fox

After claims of racism and a failed $30 million deal, an esports team will forfeit its place in one of the world’s most popular leagues

Rick Fox sues partners over alleged misappropriation of Echo Fox funding

Rick Fox sues business partners alleging fraud, conspiracy and breach of contract

Evil Geniuses confirm acquisition of Echo Fox’s LCS spot

Gamepedia: Echo Fox

Echo Fox esports Organisation Officially ‘Gone’

BEHIND THE SCENES IN BEVERLY HILLS, WHERE ECHO FOX IS CHANGING ESPORTS

Rick Fox Out as Partner at Echo Fox as Esports Dispute Settles

Echo Fox confirms investor used racial epithets toward Rick Fox

Special Guest:

Daniel Rosen

Writer, Journalist, Content Creator at theScore esports

How Color Labs Bled Out

debchen — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:46:41 +0000

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.

Episode Sources:

Wikipedia: Color Labs

Why did Color labs fail?

Color Failed. What Happens To Its $41 Million?

What Happened to the Color App?

Top 10 Failed Apps: Mistakes and How to Build a Successful App

Intimidation, Violence, Gunplay Alleged By Ex-Employee In Lawsuit Against Color Labs, Cofounder Bill Nguyen

Color lawsuit confirms sale to Apple, accuses founder of intimidation and abuse

Former Color Labs employee suing the company and CEO Bill Nguyen

Color Labs And Bill Nguyen Sued By Ex-Employee Alleging Retaliation, Emotional Distress

Sources: Apple Paid $7 Million For Color Labs

R.I.P. Color App

Bill Nguyen: The Boy In The Bubble

Special Guest:

Ty McMahan

Writer, Journalist, Media

Ty has spent the bulk of his career as a journalist, including five years covering tech startups and venture capital for The Wall Street Journal. After leaving the newsroom, he ran content efforts at both a tech startup and a venture capital firm.

Luckin Coffee’s Bitter Brew

debchen — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:39:17 +0000

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.

Download the PDF Report on Luckin Coffee : Fraud + Fundamentally Broken Business (Anonymous Source)

Episode Sources:

Luckin Stock Is as Stale as Day Old Coffee

What the Wirecard and Luckin Coffee scandals can teach Asia’s boards

Luckin Coffee co-founder apologizes for accounting scandal and promises fight to save the company

Luckin Coffee: Scandal-hit chain raided by regulators in China

New Details Emerge In Luckin Coffee Accounting Scandal

The instant rise and fall of Luckin Coffee

Why Luckin Coffee Stock Plunged 50% Today

WalkIn Case Study: The Luckin Coffee Story and What It Means for India

2018 Success Case Study: Luckin Coffee – A Local Coffee Chain with an Internet Business Model

Luckin Coffee: Fraud + Fundamentally Broken Business

Behind the Fall of China’s Luckin Coffee: a Network of Fake Buyers and a Fictitious Employee

TIMELINE-Luckin Coffee’s journey from hot startup to $5bln share wipeout

MUDDY WATERS IS SHORT LUCKIN COFFEE STOCK: HERE’S WHY

China’s Luckin Coffee Tries To Conquer A Nation Of Tea Drinkers

Luckin Coffee continues ambitious rampage: Is it really China’s Starbucks — or the next Ofo?

China’s Luckin Coffee raises $150 million in funding from BlackRock and other investors

Wikipedia: Luckin Coffee

Painful Lessons From The Luckin Coffee Scandal

Special Guest:

Dr. Steven White

Associate Professor in the Department of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management

Dr. Steven White is Associate Professor in the Department of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy of Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management, where he focuses on issues related to creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship and internationalization. He has also served as Associate Academic Director of Tsinghua University’s x-lab, a resource platform and ecosystem hub that brings together students, alumni, faculty and executives to develop the entrepreneurial capabilities in teams as they develop new ventures. His current research projects investigate the role of entrepreneurship in the emergence of new industry ecosystems, the evolution of China’s VC industry, and a comparison of the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems in China and the USA. He is also an angel investor and provides strategic advice to new ventures. He has published extensively in international journals, and each year 2015-2019 has been recognized as one of the top 20 China-based management scholars based on his publications and citations. Before joining Tsinghua, Dr. White taught at INSEAD, the China Europe International Business School and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received his Ph.D. from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, MA from the International University of Japan, and BS from Duke University. He is a United States citizen and a Permanent Resident of China and resides in Beijing.

Mak Yuen Teen, PhD, FCPA
Associate Professor Mak Yuen Teen, PhD, FCPA (Aus)
NUS Business School

Professor Mak Yuen Teen is an associate professor of accounting at the NUS Business School, where he teaches corporate governance.

He has served on various corporate governance committees for developing or revising corporate governance codes for listed companies and other organizations in Singapore, including the latest code for listed companies published in 2018. He currently serves on the Corporate Governance Advisory Committee set up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He was a member of the audit advisory committee of UN Women for six years, and prior to that, a member of a similar committee at the UN Population Fund, both based in New York. He has served on several large not-for-profit boards in Singapore.

The Blockbuster Bust

debchen — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 19:03:46 +0000

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.

Episode Sources:

How I Did It: Blockbuster’s Former CEO on Sparring with an Activist Shareholder

John Oliver Just Showed How You Can Tell Your Industry Is About To Be Disrupted

A Look Back At Why Blockbuster Really Failed And Why It Didn’t Have To

The rise and fall of Blockbuster

Blockbuster: It’s Failure and Lessons to Digital Transformers

Lessons from Blockbuster’s Demise

He “was struggling not to laugh”: Inside Netflix’s crazy, Doomed Meeting with Blockbuster

Netflix co-founder: ‘Blockbuster laughed at us … Now there’s one left’

Classic Strategic Failures: Blockbuster

Lessons From a Blockbuster Failure

Lessons from Blockbuster’s Demise

4 lessons from Blockbuster failure

Hall of Shame: Blockbuster’s James W. Keyes

Blockbuster Names James Keyes as CEO

Blockbuster offers more than $1B for Circuit City

Special Guest:

Greg Satell
International Keynote Speaker, Bestselling Author

Greg Satell is a popular speaker, adviser and author of the new book, CASCADES: HOW TO CREATE A MOVEMENT THAT DRIVES TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, whose work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Barron’s, Forbes, Inc and Fast Company. His earlier book, MAPPING INNOVATION, was selected as one of the best business titles of 2017.

An accomplished entrepreneur, executive and one of the foremost experts on innovation today, Greg speaks to audiences around the world and works with leading organizations to better compete in today’s disruptive marketplace. He was recently named by Innovation Excellence as #2 on its global list of “Top 40 Innovation Bloggers” and by IDG as one of “10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today.” Greg helps successful organizations overcome disruption and blaze a path to a better future.

You can learn more about Greg on his website, GregSatell.com and follow him on Twitter @DigitalTonto.

The Unraveling of American Apparel

debchen — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 16:59:25 +0000

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.

Episode Sources:

The Fall of American Apparel: Why a Founder’s Genius Is Not Enough

The rise and fall of American Apparel

Goodbye, American Apparel

5 reasons American Apparel is now bankrupt

The Rise and Fall of American Apparel | Highsnobiety

American Apparel Files for Bankruptcy

American Apparel: The Rise and Fall of The Infamous U.S. Brand

Why Is American Apparel Closing?

American Apparel to pay $1 million to settle suit over worker’s death

Wikipedia: American Apparel

American Apparel Lawsuit Is ‘Mother Of All Sexual Harassment Cases,’ Judge Says

American Apparel, Once Worth Nearly $1 Billion, Is Now Bankrupt

The History of American Apparel

The worst allegations from the disgusting American Apparel scandal

Label of the Year: American Apparel

Special Guest:

Elizabeth Segran
Senior Staff Writer at Fast Company
Author of The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch The Rest of Your Life from Harper Collins.

Elizabeth Segran is a Senior Staff Writer at Fast Company and Author of The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch The Rest of Your Life from Harper Collins. She attended Columbia University, then got a Ph.D. in Indian literature and women’s studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Atlantic, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and the New Republic. She lives in Boston with her husband, daughter, and books.

How Zima Got Iced

debchen — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 16:35:09 +0000

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.

Episode Sources:

The Long, Slow, Torturous Death of Zima

ZIMA: A REFRESHING GOOD IDEA OR “ZOME” KIND OF FAILURE?

Wikipedia Zima

Zima is back: 5 things you didn’t know about this ‘clearmalt’ beverage

10 Things to Know About Zima

Why Zima Faded So Fast

Zomething Different: The Rise, Fall, and Recent Comeback of Zima

Why Zima Faded So Fast

What are the biggest beer brands in America? Here’s the top 31

Let’s Cook Like It’s 1993

Time capsule from 1993 reveals cassette tape, big hair, condoms

15 Reasons Why 1993 Is The Greatest Year In Pop Culture History

Special Guest

Eric Franco: Co-Founder of Proof & Union; FULLBAR “Ready to Make” Cocktails

Eric Franco is a top-performing sales leader and business consultant with a strong and consistent record of leading sales organizations both Domestically and Internationally He drives award winning results through an entrepreneurial leadership style and has experience in national and international chain sales, brand development, marketing, and executive- level management in spirits, beer and non-alcohol segments. He also has years of experience as an owner-operator within the on-premise channel.

He has specific national and international management experience directly working for supplier companies such as; Miller Brewing Co, MillerCoors, SABMiller and Founders Brewing Co as well as Proof & Union in roles ranging from a street-level sales representative in Texas to the Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. Those roles have earned him expert knowledge in all sales channels and classes of trade, brand development, brand and field marketing, category management, distributor management, team building, and more.

Eric’s differentiated experience makes him a highly respected, knowledgeable and effective beverage industry leader and consultant.

Who Killed Toys R’ Us?

debchen — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:52:12 +0000

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.

Episode Sources

Five reasons Toys R Us failed

5 reasons Toys R Us failed to survive bankruptcy

The Real Reason Toys R Us Is Closing and Why It Matters for All Brands

Amazon Did Not Kill Toys ‘R’ Us — It Was a Giraffe

Toys R Us Failed. Here Are the Main Reasons Why

Toys “R” bankruptcy: Why it went bus

Toys R Us – How Bad Assumptions Fed Bad Financial Planning Creating Failure

Inside the Rise and Fall of Toys ‘R’

Why Did Toys ‘R’ Us Fail?

5 Reasons Toys R Us Failed

Inside the 20-year decline of Toys R Us

Wikipedia: Toys R’ Us

Toys R Us built a kingdom and the world’s biggest toy store. On Friday, its stores close for good.

Inside the 20-year decline of Toys R Us

Amazon didn’t kill Toys ‘R’ Us. Here’s what did

Special Guest

Adam Meshekow
Chief Growth Officer at Leap

Adam is an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working on all sides of the marketing, sales, and advertising industry. He is skilled in digital strategy, mobile advertising, sales, advertising, integrated marketing, and E-commerce, team building, and startup’s.

He worked at Toys R’ Us from 2010-2013 in Mobile Marketing and then subsequently, managing the Company’s Online and Mobile Brand Marketing.

How Pan Am Vanished Into Thin Air

debchen — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 18:40:35 +0000

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.

Episode Sources

LOTS OF REASONS WHY PAN AM FAILED

25 YEARS AGO: PAN AM CEASES OPERATIONS

Pan Am, a 50-Year Leader in Aviation, Goes Bankrupt : Economy: Carrier cites fuel costs, downturn and Flight 103 bombing. It says travelers will not be affected.

Pan-American World Airways: the rise and fall of a 20th century cultural icon.

Wikipedia: Pan Am

Dead Airlines And What Killed Them

The Story Of Pan American World Airways

PAN AM’S DISAPPEARING ACT

The rise and fall of Pan Am

What Caused Panam To Go Out Of Business?

The Biggest Airlines To Ever Go Bankrupt

Airlines will get the $60 billion bailout they asked for in the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill that Trump signed into law. It also prohibits layoffs, stock buybacks, and dividends

An $85 Billion Airline Rescue May Only Prolong the Pain

PAN AM GOES BANKRUPT AFTER 64 YEARS AS AN AVIATION INDUSTRY ICON

When Did Globalization Start?

Special Guest

Stephen Whitman
Operations Manager, Large Aircraft Group (LAG) at CAMP Systems International, Inc.

Stephen has over 41 years of airline management experience in Operations, Ramp Operations, Cargo Operations, System Operations, Aircraft Routing, Aircraft Maintenance Analyst, and Maintenance Planning.

He is also a FAA licensed Light Sport Repairman, FAA licenses Remote Pilot, FAA licensed Private Pilot and holds an FCC Restricted Radio Telephone Operator Permit.

He worked at Pan American World Airways from July 1979 to December 1991 first in Ramp Operations, then Airport Pax Svc, Airport Departure Control, and finally Maintenance Production Planning.

The Death of Atari: From Legend to Landfill

debchen — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:06:26 +0000

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.

Episode Sources

Atari retrospective: The rise and fall of a gaming giant

Atari video game burial

Wikipedia: Ray Kassar

A history of gaming’s biggest scandals

The Rise and Fall of Atari

Why Atari failed

Total Failure: The World’s Worst Video Game

The true story of the worst video game in history

The Atari Company and its Downfall (video)

A golden shining moment’: the true story behind Atari’s ET, the worst video game ever

The Untold Story of Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell’s Visionary 1980s Tech Incubator

The Story Behind Atari’s Infamous E.T. Video Game

The man who made ‘the worst video game in history’

Special Guest

Howard Scott Warshaw

Howard is an American psychotherapist and former game designer who is best known for his work at Atari in the early 1980s. There, he designed and programmed the Atari 2600 games Yars’ Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. He has also written two books as well as produced and directed three documentaries.

Today he is an artist, technologist, creator and healer. He received his Master of Arts degree from JFK University and his Master of Engineering degree from Tulane University. He’s spent decades as a software designer/programmer, award-winning film maker, celebrated video game developer, author, teacher, columnist and engineering manager.

Adapt or Die: The Fall of Tower Records

debchen — Wed, 20 May 2020 17:41:18 +0000

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.

Episode Sources

How Tower Records Committed Suicide

The Life And Death Of Tower Records, Revisited

Wikipedia: Tower Records

Lessons To Be Learned From Tower Records: When The Market Shifts, You Need To Shift With It

THE RISE AND FALL OF TOWER RECORDS AND HOW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SCREWED THE POOCH IN THE LATE ‘90S

Tower crumbles in the download era

The Rise And Fall Of Tower Records

What Happened to Tower Records?

Tower Records Files For Bankruptcy

Farewell to the Record-Store Magnate Who Made Sacramento Cool Before Lady Bird

The rise and fall of Tower Records, the major chain it was OK to love

Tower Records in bankruptcy

Founder of Tower Records dies at 92 while drinking whiskey and watching the Oscars

The Strategy Pathfinder: Core Concepts and Live Cases (The Pathfinder Series)

The History of the Music Industry’s First-Ever Digital Single For Sale, 20 Years After Its Release

Special Guest

Daryn Fillis, Chief Executive Officer at Distroller USA

Daryn is the CEO of Distroller’s North American Division, a retail entertainment company that brings to life experience-based concepts with art and design at its core, and spreads good vibes for ages 0 to 102.

He previously was the Operations Director at Tower Records from October 2001 to June 2004 overseeing the day-to-day operation of the retail business including purchasing, human resources, marketing, merchandising, store design, customer service and store operations.

A Fatal Flop: the U.S. COVID-19 Testing Debacle

debchen — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 21:13:25 +0000

On January 10^th2020, 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.

Special Guest

Alexis Madrigal

Alexis Madrigal is a journalist in Oakland, California. He’s a staff writer at The Atlantic. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Fusion and and a staff writer at Wired. He’s a visiting scholar at the Information School at UC Berkeley.

He’s working on a book about Oakland and racial capitalism in urban America.

He’s been a visiting scholar a UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Technology, Science, and Medicine and an affiliate with Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

Episode Sources

The Dangerous Delays in U.S Coronavirus Testing Haven’t Stopped

How testing failures allowed coronavirus to sweep the U.S.

How the Coronavirus Became an American Catastrophe

Exclusive: The Strongest Evidence Yet That America is Botching Coronavirus Testing

The Official Coronavirus Numbers are Wrong and Everyone Knows It

Why the U.S. Still Can’t Do Enough Coronavirus Testing

What Went Wrong with Coronavirus Testing in the U.S.

Coronavirus Testing in the U.S.: What You Need to Know

Why Is the U.S. Behind on Coronavirus Testing?

What went wrong with coronavirus testing in the U.S.

Why It’s So Hard to Get Coronavirus Testing in the U.S. Right Now

U.S. Lags in Coronavirus Testing After Slow Response to Outbreak

Trump Administration Steps Up Coronavirus Testing Under Pressure

The 4 Key Reasons the U.S. Is So Behind on Coronavirus Testing

Here’s why the US is behind in coronavirus testing

The Question the CDC Won’t Answer About Coronavirus Testing

One chart shows how many coronavirus tests per capita have been completed in 8 countries. The US is woefully behind

WHO and CDC never discussed providing international test kits to the US, global health agency says

How Juicero Squeezed Itself Out

debchen — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 20:33:59 +0000

Juicero’s $700 juicer took Silicon Valley by storm in 2016. The brainchild of Doug Evans, a raw food enthusiast, was one of the most sought after product, already boasting $120 million in funding from some of the largest and most untouchable venture capitalists. Kobe Bryant was one of its investors, Oprah promoted it in one of her lavish giveaways, Ivanka Trump gave it a nod on Twitter and Juicero even won over healthy living fanatics like Gwyneth Paltrow and Dr. Oz. Find out how this high-flying juicer got squeezed out of the limelight only a year and a half after its unveiling, on Episode 7 of The Great Fail.

Special Guest

Ellen Huet

Ellen Huet is a reporter covering startups and Silicon Valley for Bloomberg News. Prior to that, she was a staff writer at Forbes, and spent two years as a crime and breaking news reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle.

Episode Sources

Squeezed out: widely mocked startup Juicero is shutting down

The $700 ‘Keurig for Juice’ is too expensive to solve a very real problem

The Failure Awards for defunct branding | #4 Juicero

Crunchbase: Juicero

3 Tips to Avoid Failure, from the Man behind Juicero and Amazon Echo

‘Juicero’ May Be the First Hilariously Epic Failure on ‘The Internet of Things’
Is Juicero’s failure a warning to future investment in connected products?

Juicero is still the greatest example of Silicon Valley stupidity

Inside Juicero’s Demise, From Prized Startup to Fire Sale

The Genius of Juicero: What Really Happened

The $400 Juicero Juicer Is The Funniest Silicon Valley Fail In Forever

Silicon Valley’s Infamous $400 Juicer Startup Is Shutting Down

Silicon Valley’s $400 Juicer May Be Feeling the Squeeze

How Juicero’s Story Set the Company Up for Humiliation

A EULOGY FOR JUICERO, THE $400 JUICER THAT STOLE SILICON VALLEY’S HEART

JUICERO INVESTORS BLAME POPULISM FOR $400 JUICER’S DEMISE

Juicero, maker of the doomed $400 internet-connected juicer, is shutting down

#Fail: Juicero

Juicero and 2017’s other failed start-ups

Juicero And United: Two Real-Time Case Studies In Crisis PR For Entrepreneurs

Wikipedia: Juicero

Juicero, Start-Up With a $700 Juicer and Top Investors, Shuts Down

The Mad King of Juice: Inside the Dysfunctional Origins of Juicero

Gawker’s Demise: Sex, Pride & Celebrity Porn Tapes

debchen — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 17:24:29 +0000

For over 13 years, Gawker was one of the most popular sources for the latest on gossip, news, and entertainment. When it wasn’t breaking news and celebrity exposès, it was breaking its viewership records, seeing over 62 million unique visitors on its site each month. But, a sex tape and a Silicon Valley billionaire would start a bloodbath that would ultimately bring down Gawker’s multi-million dollar media empire. Find out on how Gawker found itself posting its own obituary on Episode 8 of The Great Fail.

Sources:

‘One Grotesque Irony After Another’: Inside the Rise and Fall of Gawker 2.0

The Culture Gabfest “And Now It’s Dead” Edition

Wikipedia: Gawker Media

THE THIEL-GAWKER SAGA TAKES AN EVEN DARKER TURN

Why Gawker.com is shutting down next week

Gawker’s Demise and the Trump-Era Threat to the First Amendment

Gawker’s Nick Denton Reflects on Site’s Failure in Final Post: ‘Freedom Was Illusory’

Bid To Save Gawker.com Falls Short

Gawker.com to End Operations Next Week

Splinter, the digital news successor to Gawker, is shutting down

7,800 people lost their media jobs in a 2019 landslide

Gawker.com shuts down

Peter Thiel Just Got His Wish: Gawker Is Shutting Down

Wikipedia: Bollea v. Gawker

Gawker Blasted for Posting a Lurid Story That Outs Executive

Everything You Need To Know About the Gawker Scandal and Billionaire Peter Thiel

Gawker and The Washington Post: A case study in fair use

The Gawker Case Has Become More Interesting

A.J. Daulerio Is Ready to Tell His (Whole) Gawker Story

How Things Work

Gawker editor says he found Hulk Hogan sex tape ‘amusing’

Special COVID-19 Episode: Whistleblower from Wuhan

debchen — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 04:43:24 +0000

We are dedicating this episode to Dr. Li Wenliang, the doctor who was credited as being one of the first to try to warn the public about the outbreak of COVID-19 in the early days. He was quickly reprimanded by the Chinese officials, accused of spreading rumors, and forced to sign a public statement of apology. The Great Fail that prevented Dr. Li’s warnings became a deadly tragedy that led to the coronavirus becoming a pandemic today. Here is this week’s story on the Whistleblower from Wuhan.

Episode Sources

Coronavirus ‘could cost global economy $1.1tn in lost income

This Chinese doctor tried to save lives, but was silenced. Now he has coronavirus

The Chinese doctor who sounded the alarm on the Wuhan coronavirus has died

Chinese doctor censured for warning about coronavirus dies of the illness

China To Investigate After Whistleblower Doctor Dies From Coronavirus

Police in China’s Wuhan Move to Quash ‘Rumors’ About Virus Outbreak

How Chinese doctor Li Wenliang died twice in China’s state media

Don’t buy China’s story: The coronavirus may have leaked from a lab

Coronavirus fears empty store shelves of toilet paper, bottled water, masks as shoppers stock up

The Chinese doctor who tried to warn others about coronavirus

What the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was like before the outbreak

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

Everything you need to know about WeChat — China’s billion-user messaging app

Wikipedia: Li Wenliang

The economic effects of COVID-19 around the world

Crazy Eddie: The Fall of an Electronics Empire

debchen — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 21:40:52 +0000

Before Best Buy, Target and Fry’s Electronics, there was Crazy Eddie, which created the blueprint for consumer electronic retailers. With their deep discounts and iconic Crazy Eddie ads, they were one of the top performers on Wall Street from 1984 to 1987. But beneath all the success, were internal rivalries, deep jealousy, plots of deceit and betrayal, and a huge family secret that would ultimately unravel this multi-million dollar enterprise. Find out what brought down Eddie Antar, the man behind the brand, on Episode 5 of The Great Fail.

Episode Sources

The Fall of Crazy Eddie

Our prices are INSANE’: Crazy Eddie, fabled electronics retailer and fraudster, has died at 68

Calculated Madness: The rise and fall of Crazy Eddie Antar

Crazy Eddie’s Insanely Successful Criminal Enterprise

Crazy Eddie From Wikipedia

The long and wild Crazy Eddie investor fraud case nears the end

Crazy Eddie Founder Guilty of Fraud

Convicted Crazy Eddie executive tells of ‘Insane!’ wrongdoing

Sam Antar: The CFO behind the Crazy Eddie’s fraud

4 Famous Inventory Frauds You’ve Never Heard Of Crazy Eddie

Eddie Antar, Who Started The Crazy Eddie Chain With ‘Insane!’ Prices, Dies At 68

Special guest

Sam Antar is a convicted felon and a former CPA. As the first cousin of Eddie Antar, and the Chief Financial Officer of Crazy Eddie, Mr. Antar helped mastermind one of the largest securities frauds uncovered during the 1980s.

We Didn’t Work: The Failure of WeWork’s IPO

debchen — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 05:27:13 +0000

WeWork was one of the most highly anticipated IPOs in 2019. It received funding from the biggest investment banks and investment funds including most notably, Softbank. Linked to celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Hugh Jackman, and Mark Zuckerberg, the charismatic CEO Adam Neumann was on a trajectory to creating a movement for coworking space rentals across the globe. What would follow would be the crumbling of the WeWork brand, the failure of its IPO, the disgraceful exodus of WeWork employees and the ousting of its leader

Episode Sources

WeWork cofounder Adam Neumann personally invested $30 million in a startup and loaned money to its CEO. Then the CEO got fired over alleged gross misconduct.

Is Venture Capital Worth The Risk?

The Wildly Appealing, Totally Doomed Future of Work

WeWork Throws a Party As it Burns Through Cash

Benchmark’s role ousting the CEOs of WeWork and Uber could be the end of the ‘founder friendly’ reputation that made it one of Silicon Valley’s hottest VC firms

Cofounder Rebekah Neumann is giving up her roles at WeWork, as her husband Adam Neumann steps down as CEO

WeWork Is the Most Ridiculous IPO of 2019

WeWork Comes To Terms With What It Actually Is

WeWork files for IPO after losing $1.9 billion last year

WeWork pulls IPO filing

WeWork’s IPO: The Triumph Of Hype Over Fundamentals

WeWork IPO Shows It’s the Most Magical Unicorn

WeWork is hitting the brakes after its IPO went up in smoke — and landlords could pay the price

The WeWork fiasco of 2019, explained in 30 seconds

Here’s how reporters Meghan Morris and Julie Bort exposed the wild, nonstop WeWork party

The fall of WeWork’s Adam Neumann

WeWork Was a Family Affair, Until Things Got Complicated

Guest Bio

David Trainer, Founder and CEO

David Trainer is a Wall Street veteran and corporate finance expert. He specializes in reversing accounting distortions on the underlying economics of business performance and stock valuation. He was a member of FASB’s Investor Advisory Committee from 2013-2017 and is author of Modern Tools for Valuation (Wiley Finance 2010).

David combined his expertise and an analytical focus to found New Constructs, which assesses the core impact on stocks from accounting rule changes and corporate actions to create the best fundamental research in the business – as proven by Ernst & Young’s white paper “Getting ROIC Right” and Harvard Business School’s case study “New Constructs: Disrupting Fundamental Analysis with Robo-Analysts”.

Mr. Trainer makes frequent appearances in TV and print to share his insights on market trends, macro-economic news, and individual stock insights, as well as cutting–edge research on ETFs and mutual funds.

His stock-picking success has been well-documented since 2005, including features on CNBC, in Institutional Investor Magazine, in Barron’s.

Prior to founding New Constructs in 2002, Mr. Trainer spent over 6 years as a stock analyst on Wall Street. In 1996, he joined Credit Suisse First Boston where he created an economic (as opposed to accounting)-based earnings model and brand for CSFB equity research. Prior to his career in Wall Street, Mr. Trainer was an executive compensation consultant with Arthur Andersen. In 1994, Mr. Trainer earned his B.S. in International Business from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX.

Meghan Morris, Senior Reporter for Business Insider focused on tech deals and WeWork.

Previously, she wrote about private equity real estate for three years at the industry’s trade magazine, PERE and has since been the lead reporter for WeWork at Business Insider.

Meghan frequently appears on television and moderate panels and keynotes at industry events, with recent appearances including CNBC’s Squawk Box; In|Vest 2019; the Digital Wealth Conference; and myriad Private Equity International events in the US and Middle East. Please contact me for speaking and media engagements.

Meghan holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University in journalism.

Bre-X: Fool’s Gold

debchen — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 06:24:41 +0000

By 1995, Calgary’s Bre-X became a $6 billion dollar company when it declared that it had discovered the world’s largest gold mine within the jungles of Indonesia. What followed years later would entail all the elements of a Hollywood story: lies, betrayal, the collapse of an empire, and a badly decomposed body

Guest Bio

llll

Alfred Lenarciak

Writer, Grand Jury Member

Alfred Lenarciak was born in Poland, and in 1975 emigrated to Canada. Degrees in engineering and finance were the platform that allowed him to invest in mining companies all over the world for more than 30 years.

At the age of sixty, Alfred decided to retire from a career of investing to devote his time to publishing stories based of his life experiences. He is author of Gold of Bre-X, Road to Freedom, Bre-X: Dead Man’s Story, Revenge of Money, and Napoleon’s Eagle Prophecy which are already available in over 40 countries worldwide.

Alfred currently resides in Nassau, Bahamas with his wife Barbara. Besides writing, Alfred enjoys golfing, travelling, and studying history. He can be contacted by email at alfred@lenarciak.net

Episode Sources

Case Study: Bre-X Scandal – The $6 Billion Gold Fraud

BRE-X: Inside The $6 Billion Gold Fraud That Shocked The Mining Industry

Bre-X Gold Scandal

Remembering Bre-X: Suicide and the gold ‘find of the century

The rise and fall of Bre-X

After 17 years, Bre-X case finally closes

Bre-X: The real story and scandal that inspired the movie Gold

Geologist’s Death May Lie At Heart of Busang Mystery

Google Glass

debchen — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 22:46:34 +0000

On its debut, it was heralded as one of the best inventions of 2013. Google launched Project Glass as its first wearable that would rock the world. Glass quickly became the must-have product for celebrities and CEOs, and was on a fast track to becoming a culturally defining moment that would cross over to mainstream success. So how did this product end up on the DOA list just two years after it’s launch?

Episode Sources

Guest Bio

Robert Hernandez, one of the few true veterans of web journalism, has made a name for himself as a journalist of the web, not just on the web. His primary focus is exploring and developing the intersection of technology and journalism — to empower people, inform reporting and storytelling, engage community, improve distribution, and, whenever possible, enhance revenue.

Hernandez is an associate professor of professional practice, AKA a web journalism professor, at USC Annenberg. He’s not an academic… he’s more of a hackademic. He describes himself as a mad scientist for journalism and likes to “MacGyver” web journalism solutions.

His most recent work includes Augmented Reality, Wearables/Google Glass and Virtual Reality — he and his students produce immersive experiences under their brand: JOVRNALISM. Their work can be seen in The New York Times, NBC, NPR, ProPublica, USA Today and in their own iOS/Android app.

JOVRNALISM has received awards from the Online News Association, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the LA Press Club and The Webby Awards, among many others. It has also been awarded grants from the Knight Foundation and others.

He is the recipient of SPJ’s 2015 Distinguished Teaching in Journalism Award. He has been an international keynote speaker, panelists (SXSW three times), moderator and gave a TEDxKC talk on the future of news and misinformation.

Hernandez has made it to Imgur’s front page more than once. He connects dots and people.

Find out more about Hernandez at www.webjournalist.org or follow him on Twitter at @webjournalist.

THE DOWNFALL OF LA GEAR

debchen — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 07:21:50 +0000

In the 80’s and early 90’s, L.A. Gear became one of the most iconic brands with celebrity endorsements that included Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Hakeem Olajuwon, Joe Montana, and Wayne Gretsky. This quintessential company captured the hearts of men, women, and kids and for a minute, was third in sales behind Nike and Reebok. How one of the hottest companies, could commit a series of missteps that landed it on its deathbed by the late 90’s, will have you doing the maniac flashdance.

L.A. Gear Episode Sources

Guest Bio

Gerald Flores is Editor-in-Chief, Sole Collector
Overseer, Complex Sneakers

@ImGeraLd on Twitter and Instagram

“Season 1 Trailer: Introducing The Great Fail”

debchen — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 19:10:50 +0000

Here is a sneak peak at Season 1 of The Great Fail hosted by Debra Chen