77 episodes

The Great Fail is a true crime inspired, business podcast that examines the greatest success stories of the most prominent and prolific companies, brands, and people and what led to their demise. If you love true crime and stories of massive failures, you've come to the right place! Here we take a forensic look at stories that will irk you, shock you, and have you picking your jaw up off the floor, all while learning the oftentimes avoidable, mistakes that have ended the lives of companies and left boardrooms looking like crime scenes.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Fail Adweek Podcast Network

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 122 Ratings

The Great Fail is a true crime inspired, business podcast that examines the greatest success stories of the most prominent and prolific companies, brands, and people and what led to their demise. If you love true crime and stories of massive failures, you've come to the right place! Here we take a forensic look at stories that will irk you, shock you, and have you picking your jaw up off the floor, all while learning the oftentimes avoidable, mistakes that have ended the lives of companies and left boardrooms looking like crime scenes.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Episode 63: Quiznos is Toast

    Episode 63: Quiznos is Toast

    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.
    Sources:
    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

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    • 26 min
    Episode 62: Kittyhawk: From Moonshot to a Longshot

    Episode 62: Kittyhawk: From Moonshot to a Longshot

    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.  
     
    Sources: 
    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 
    Visit https://thegreatfail.com/ for more sources!

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    • 29 min
    TGF Presents: Marketing Vanguard

    TGF Presents: Marketing Vanguard

    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.
    Listen and subscribe to Marketing Vanguard on Apple Podcasts or find it on Spotify.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 46 min
    Episode 61: The Wing(s) Get Clipped

    Episode 61: The Wing(s) Get Clipped

    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. 
    Sources: 
    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  
    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 

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    • 25 min
    Episode 60: Bed, Bath &…Bankrupted

    Episode 60: Bed, Bath &…Bankrupted

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

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    • 24 min
    Flashback: The DeLorean: Time Machine to Nowhere

    Flashback: The DeLorean: Time Machine to Nowhere

    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.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
122 Ratings

122 Ratings

Arocello ,

Favorite show

So entertaining!

Cyber_Topanga ,

Good podcast

I love the stories shared in this podcast and I listen faithfully. I am only put off by the sound effects that just don’t mesh well. It’s just distracting and sometimes actually startles me. Just get rid of those please.

sooty chat ,

3 stars for poor audio mixing and intro/outdo music

Understandable that the reason for company or brand failure gets repetitive—not in tune with the times and trends, slow to react to changing business models, etc.
But the audio capture of those interviewed over phone lines or zoom needs to be cleaned up; very muzzy and mushy.
And the theme music has to go: sounds as if a kid is banging on a thin/tin pot lid.

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