March 3, 2025 • 7 mins
We dive into some of the most overhyped product failures of the past two decades. From Apple's forgotten gaming console to Microsoft's failed iPod killer, these products had all the buzz but none of the staying power.
- The Apple Pippin, the gaming console that never stood a chance
- Why the Microsoft Zune couldn't dethrone the iPod
- How the Segway PT went from "revolutionary" to a niche novelty
- The Pontiac Aztek, the SUV that was so ugly it became a meme
- The rise and fall of Four Loko, the drink that colleges loved (and regulators hated)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do you remember the Microsoft Zoom If you don't remember,
(00:08):
it was Microsoft's answer to the Apple iPod, and it
was supposed to be the next biggest thing. It was
supposed to crush the iPod and be the biggest listening device.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Every wrong. They were very wrong.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Too. Yeah, yeah, kind of it was a little more boxy, right,
it was just the nerdier.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, they tried, though, they did try.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
And I asked the question because there's a thread going
viral of people listing the things that were once hyped
up to be the next biggest thing but then flopped
right on their faces.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
You're so right, this is inspirational. Actually what Yeah, because
if your thing is a flop, just keep going.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Okay, you have to fail in order to succeed. Yes,
and there's some companies that have failed big time, Yes,
even when they were already successful, like Microsoft are trying
to create the Zoom. So let's go over some of
the high lights from people sharing the things that were
hyped up so much to be the next biggest thing
in the world and then flopped on their faces.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
The seg oh didn't they ban that because people were
like taking them right off the cliffs.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
What I think people were like accidentally going off of
cliffs and things.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think they were. Are those like the hoverboards.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
They're the ones that you would stand up on and
it was like one wheel and it would just go.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
The only way to see them now is on mall cops,
right and some parking attendance right segues to see them
in the movies. Yes, I wanted a segue, though I
still want to segue.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Who didn't Why? I didn't know why that failed so hard?
And I think it's just because.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Say, I really think it was now that I'm remembering correctly,
because they used to do segu tours, like in the city.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
You would see people just like nind Up rowing around on.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
This. Yeah, the city staff in Hawaii they did it too.
They had a segue tour. But then they're going off clips.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
So yeah, going over a thread that is going viral
of people sharing the most hyped up things ever that
fell on their faces.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
VR.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
They kept trying to make it happen, but it's never
gone mainstream.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
But isn't it done?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Not really yea yet?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
At least are there those gaming places that they have
the VR they do and those are fun.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I've been to a couple of those are cool, but
I still think it's really not mainstream.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
It's just so inaccessible. But then the people who do
have it aren't really great ambassadors because you're I don't
want to be anything like that person. So it's just like, again,
I don't know why this word's my buzzword for today,
but the nerds took it, and then everyone they want
to do one is taking off those augmented reality right,
which is where you can see the real world and
(02:48):
this other world at the same time that's taking off.
So it's like a half step between virtual reality and
the real world.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Oh, I don't even know what the meataglasses. For example,
I just.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Remember when my friend got her V her VR goggles
or whatever. Yeah, she would use him to work out
because she's like, yeah, then I could like play games
and I'd be working out of my living.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Like she was in her room.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Just speaking of meadowglasses. The metaverse. Everybody was talking about
the metaverse. I was arning to think about it so long.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I was thinking about that last weekend. I was like,
where did it go? What is it doing? It's still there?
There was a whole money what is it?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Well, it's actually really kind of scary because I have
a family member that bought a lot of property in
the metaverse really like with real money, and nobody knows
where that is now, like there's stuff going on with it.
So I know for a while it was hyped to
be the next thing to invest in, Like.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Yeah, people were saying by property in the metaverse, right,
and so I still thought did too.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
He had a whole town in the metaphorse.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
For him, that's just like a game he paid for,
but like for real people that were trying to invest
in it at money.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
But isn't it like Minecraft, Like if it's a metaverse,
I can just keep making more. I don't know how
it works.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
I really don't either.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I have no idea.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Well they that, Bryan, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Threads, Yeah, Instagram, it was supposer place Twitter or x
and now it's just a lot of engagement fishing.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I guess nobody uses story.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I know it popped up on my Instagram one time
when it first started, and it was like you had
to have it, so I was like okay, and then
I went to it once and that's it.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, mine like automatically posts on to threads. But just
when it started every He's like, quick, you got to
get on threads.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
It's the next big thing. If you want to blow
up and go viral, you've got to get on threads.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I think that was bratt well.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I don't think I ever said it was going to
go viral. I don't believe in the concept of viral
unless you're talking about the Jubile show, TikTok about joble
Dot show.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, that's definitely gone viral.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
But Threads is a weird like I didn't have a
picture to take, so so I'm going to describe what
the picture I would have taken. It was from Instagram,
Like there's like a weird and then there's also like
sign up for my newsletter energy.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
The whole time, it is very much.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
The spammy weird I'm better than you, but not providing
any more value than Twitter type.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeahs, Like Twitter, people are sharing the things that were
hyped up like crazy but then fell on their faces.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
The uh oh, Google glasses is on the list. I
forgot those were a thing.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Me too, and I wanted to get something really bad.
I don't even know about them. I just was like,
that sounds cool.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I surprised you didn't that feels right up your allur
I know they remind me of the Tony Stark glasses.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
They were expensive though, they were like three thousand dollars. Yeah,
they're very expensive.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Don't we know somebody that got them. Didn't Eric our
agent get a pair.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I believe he probably would.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
I feel like he was a meeting with us.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Google glasses, Yeah, yes, he has something something a Google glass.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
There's another classy glasses Apple.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Apple has one that's sort of like that, and then
also the Meta glasses, which is the cheaper like you
can get those like three hundred bucks.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I think those do pretty well. Yeah, they saw those
at Best Buying stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Reasonable.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
The ray bands though, another thing that was super hyped
up but fell on its face. Google Plus it was
supposed to be the Facebook to killer. Remember that it
was supposed to take down Facebook.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I still remember the email.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Ye hey listen, we're not going to do this anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Essentially, they were like, we're done with this.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Google does that they come out with some things that
can if you need proof that you have to fail
in order to succeed Google, it's constantly failing.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Thousands of projects they put out and then never.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Make it like here's our new AI. All right, it
is no longer available online. You can download the app.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
I guess it doesn't hurt them though. They're still Google.
So really this is very inspiring.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
That whole thing called Google Reader, which you could put
links to your favorite news websites and it would aggregate
all of it and put it all in one thing.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
That one day they were just like, we're done with this.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
Yeah, I know everyone was mad.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
They're like, we don't like it.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Well, really, the number one thing on the list that
people are sharing of things that were over hyped but
then fell on their faces.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Crystal pepsi. That's a that was a clear pepsi that
was a great mixer.
Do you remember the Microsoft Zoom If you don't remember,
(00:08):
it was Microsoft's answer to the Apple iPod, and it
was supposed to be the next biggest thing. It was
supposed to crush the iPod and be the biggest listening device.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Every wrong. They were very wrong.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Too. Yeah, yeah, kind of it was a little more boxy, right,
it was just the nerdier.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, they tried, though, they did try.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
And I asked the question because there's a thread going
viral of people listing the things that were once hyped
up to be the next biggest thing but then flopped
right on their faces.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
You're so right, this is inspirational. Actually what Yeah, because
if your thing is a flop, just keep going.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Okay, you have to fail in order to succeed. Yes,
and there's some companies that have failed big time, Yes,
even when they were already successful, like Microsoft are trying
to create the Zoom. So let's go over some of
the high lights from people sharing the things that were
hyped up so much to be the next biggest thing
in the world and then flopped on their faces.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
The seg oh didn't they ban that because people were
like taking them right off the cliffs.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
What I think people were like accidentally going off of
cliffs and things.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think they were. Are those like the hoverboards.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
They're the ones that you would stand up on and
it was like one wheel and it would just go.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
The only way to see them now is on mall cops,
right and some parking attendance right segues to see them
in the movies. Yes, I wanted a segue, though I
still want to segue.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Who didn't Why? I didn't know why that failed so hard?
And I think it's just because.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Say, I really think it was now that I'm remembering correctly,
because they used to do segu tours, like in the city.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
You would see people just like nind Up rowing around on.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
This. Yeah, the city staff in Hawaii they did it too.
They had a segue tour. But then they're going off clips.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
So yeah, going over a thread that is going viral
of people sharing the most hyped up things ever that
fell on their faces.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
VR.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
They kept trying to make it happen, but it's never
gone mainstream.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
But isn't it done?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Not really yea yet?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
At least are there those gaming places that they have
the VR they do and those are fun.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I've been to a couple of those are cool, but
I still think it's really not mainstream.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
It's just so inaccessible. But then the people who do
have it aren't really great ambassadors because you're I don't
want to be anything like that person. So it's just like, again,
I don't know why this word's my buzzword for today,
but the nerds took it, and then everyone they want
to do one is taking off those augmented reality right,
which is where you can see the real world and
(02:48):
this other world at the same time that's taking off.
So it's like a half step between virtual reality and
the real world.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Oh, I don't even know what the meataglasses. For example,
I just.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Remember when my friend got her V her VR goggles
or whatever. Yeah, she would use him to work out
because she's like, yeah, then I could like play games
and I'd be working out of my living.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Like she was in her room.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Just speaking of meadowglasses. The metaverse. Everybody was talking about
the metaverse. I was arning to think about it so long.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I was thinking about that last weekend. I was like,
where did it go? What is it doing? It's still there?
There was a whole money what is it?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Well, it's actually really kind of scary because I have
a family member that bought a lot of property in
the metaverse really like with real money, and nobody knows
where that is now, like there's stuff going on with it.
So I know for a while it was hyped to
be the next thing to invest in, Like.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Yeah, people were saying by property in the metaverse, right,
and so I still thought did too.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
He had a whole town in the metaphorse.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
For him, that's just like a game he paid for,
but like for real people that were trying to invest
in it at money.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
But isn't it like Minecraft, Like if it's a metaverse,
I can just keep making more. I don't know how
it works.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
I really don't either.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I have no idea.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Well they that, Bryan, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Threads, Yeah, Instagram, it was supposer place Twitter or x
and now it's just a lot of engagement fishing.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I guess nobody uses story.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I know it popped up on my Instagram one time
when it first started, and it was like you had
to have it, so I was like okay, and then
I went to it once and that's it.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, mine like automatically posts on to threads. But just
when it started every He's like, quick, you got to
get on threads.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
It's the next big thing. If you want to blow
up and go viral, you've got to get on threads.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I think that was bratt well.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
I don't think I ever said it was going to
go viral. I don't believe in the concept of viral
unless you're talking about the Jubile show, TikTok about joble
Dot show.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, that's definitely gone viral.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
But Threads is a weird like I didn't have a
picture to take, so so I'm going to describe what
the picture I would have taken. It was from Instagram,
Like there's like a weird and then there's also like
sign up for my newsletter energy.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
The whole time, it is very much.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
The spammy weird I'm better than you, but not providing
any more value than Twitter type.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeahs, Like Twitter, people are sharing the things that were
hyped up like crazy but then fell on their faces.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
The uh oh, Google glasses is on the list. I
forgot those were a thing.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Me too, and I wanted to get something really bad.
I don't even know about them. I just was like,
that sounds cool.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I surprised you didn't that feels right up your allur
I know they remind me of the Tony Stark glasses.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
They were expensive though, they were like three thousand dollars. Yeah,
they're very expensive.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Don't we know somebody that got them. Didn't Eric our
agent get a pair.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I believe he probably would.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
I feel like he was a meeting with us.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Google glasses, Yeah, yes, he has something something a Google glass.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
There's another classy glasses Apple.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Apple has one that's sort of like that, and then
also the Meta glasses, which is the cheaper like you
can get those like three hundred bucks.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
I think those do pretty well. Yeah, they saw those
at Best Buying stuff.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Reasonable.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
The ray bands though, another thing that was super hyped
up but fell on its face. Google Plus it was
supposed to be the Facebook to killer. Remember that it
was supposed to take down Facebook.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I still remember the email.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Ye hey listen, we're not going to do this anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Essentially, they were like, we're done with this.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Google does that they come out with some things that
can if you need proof that you have to fail
in order to succeed Google, it's constantly failing.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Thousands of projects they put out and then never.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Make it like here's our new AI. All right, it
is no longer available online. You can download the app.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
I guess it doesn't hurt them though. They're still Google.
So really this is very inspiring.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
That whole thing called Google Reader, which you could put
links to your favorite news websites and it would aggregate
all of it and put it all in one thing.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
That one day they were just like, we're done with this.
Speaker 5 (06:53):
Yeah, I know everyone was mad.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
They're like, we don't like it.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Well, really, the number one thing on the list that
people are sharing of things that were over hyped but
then fell on their faces.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Crystal pepsi. That's a that was a clear pepsi that
was a great mixer.
Host
Jubal Fresh
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