One product that caught my attention while researching about product failures was Google Wave. Launched in 2009 with much fanfare, it was supposed to revolutionize online communication. But despite initial hype and interest, it failed to gain traction and eventually shut down.
Use Case:
Google Wave was positioned as an all-in-one communication and collaboration tool that combined email, instant messaging, document sharing, and social networking features. It was supposed to be a game-changer in the way people interacted online. It had the potential to streamline workflows and make online communication more efficient.
Traction:
Google Wave was launched in May 2009 at Google’s I/O developer conference. Over 100,000 users signed up for the platform within the first 24 hours post-launch. The initial excitement was short-lived. User engagement had already dropped by over 50% by the end of the first month.
Plateau:
The initial excitement was short-lived, and the hype started to plateau. Most surveys concluded that Google Wave was “confusing and hard to use.”
Decline:
The user engagement started to decline, and the interest began to wane. Google tried to salvage the product by coming up with multiple use cases and opening them to the developers.
However, in the first year, Google Wave saw a 40% drop in user engagement. By 2010, it was clear that the platform was not going to be the game-changer.
Shut Down:
Google announced that it was discontinuing Google Wave in August 2010. In a blog post announcing the shutdown, Google admitted that “despite these efforts, Wave has not seen the user adoption we would have liked.”
The platform had failed to meet expectations.
Google invested a significant amount of time and resources into developing Google Wave. According to reports, the project involved over 50 developers and took more than two years to complete. It’s estimated that Google spent millions of dollars on its development.
The takeaway for Product Managers is that even the most innovative and exciting ideas can fall flat if not timed perfectly, and executed rightly.
By avoiding the mistakes that led to the failure of Google Wave, products can be created that truly make an impact in the market.