Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, once said “genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” There’s a high chance that whatever an inventor creates, might fizzle and flop. However, if everyone had that attitude when creating, nothing would be invented would it? You have to persist! Here we have a list of some incredible products, that despite their good intentions, ultimately failed. We think some of these are a little harsh, and in a different era perhaps would’ve done better.
That being said… we have to say for several of these: what were they thinking? See more below…
The “ESPN” Phone
This flip phone with the ESPN logo offered blurry video clips and constant sports news. With a $65–225/month plan, it was “free”, or you could buy the device outright for a price of $399. Steve Jobs told ESPN executives, “Your phone is the dumbest f***ing idea I have ever heard” after it had been running for about a year. It’s fair to say the phone didn’t last a whole lot longer.
The ‘ESPN’ Phone
Ikea a.i.r.
Ikea is renowned for its reasonably priced and occasionally simple to assemble home furnishings. In the 1980s, however, they experimented with inflatable furniture, which proved to be a waste of time. Since it used fewer resources and cut down on transportation expenses, the concept made sense: it was essentially weightless. With a ceiling fan, however, your living room was constantly in danger of being rearranged, as the valves leaked and required frequent re-inflation of the furnishings. Ikea pulled the a.i.r., defeated. Ten years later, they briefly resurrected the children’s furniture line. However, it also turned out to be very flat.
Ikea A.i.r.
