Product success stories are inescapable.

They’re all over YouTube, LinkedIn and X, and marketers gobble them up.

But the ones that didn’t make it? Those product stories can teach you a lot more.

Over three decades, I’ve worked with numerous products. Not all reached the finish line — or even the launchpad.

Each left lessons that shaped how I approach innovation with current clients:

The truck rack accessory that never shipped. We’d developed the brand, planned the launch, begun to create the marketing assets. But manufacturing costs kept climbing until the numbers didn’t work. Lesson: validate production economics (not just demand) before investing in go-to-market.

That innovative car visor still seeking its market fit. Unique, top-quality solution, but we learned that auto accessories face brutal distribution challenges, compete in a sea of copycats, and get intense price pushback from consumers. Even excellence doesn’t guarantee adoption.

What about that iced tea energy drink? The product was solid. The branding sharp. But founder burnout is real. Sometimes the tank runs dry before the product finds its audience.

And then there was the cold and flu blocker. The science looked promising, and then the founders‘ shady past caught up with them. A harsh reminder that due diligence doesn’t catch everything.

These experiences taught me more than any success:

• Manufacturing realities trump marketing plans (and are forever changing)
• Distribution paths must be validated early, with plenty of padding on costs
• Founder resilience and leadership skills matter as much as product quality
• Trust but verify, always

Every product maker faces setbacks. That’s part of the game, so you’ve got to expect it.

As a client, you don’t want to work with an agency that ignores its failures. You want your strategists to have experienced several, and remember them well.

The key is in learning from each one, and understanding the root causes very well.

Never falling into the same tiger pit twice.

(Pro tip: they seldom look the same from the outside.)

What lessons have your setbacks taught you?

Laurier