What Went Wrong...
Examining the missteps of various software products across industries reveals common pitfalls that can derail even the most promising innovations. From inadequate market research and poor user experience design to insufficient testing and failure to adapt to technological advancements, these challenges underscore the importance of thorough planning and execution. The following section outlines specific cases, offering insights into how these factors contributed to their downfall and the lessons that can be gleaned to inform future endeavors.
Available Lessons:
200
HubSpot Ads Add-On (Early Version)
AdTech
HubSpot
The ads feature failed to deliver ROI tracking and advanced targeting options, limiting its appeal to serious marketers.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Inaccurate ROI calculations in reporting tools
Lack of features for custom ad targeting
SIGNALS MISSED
Feedback about missing advanced targeting capabilities
Low adoption by enterprise customers
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Building better tracking tools for accurate ROI reporting
Adding advanced features to appeal to professional marketers
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Engineering, Customer Success, Marketing
Sprinklr Social Listening
MarTech
Sprinklr
The social listening feature failed to provide actionable insights, leaving marketers frustrated with noisy or irrelevant data.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Poor data filtering and categorization algorithms
Weak visualization tools for insights
SIGNALS MISSED
Feedback highlighting irrelevant or excessive data points
Low satisfaction scores from marketing teams
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Refining algorithms to prioritize actionable insights
Enhancing visualizations to highlight key trends
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Data, Engineering, Design
Oracle Eloqua (Early Revamp)
MarTech
Oracle
A major revamp of the marketing automation platform introduced bugs and removed features users relied on, leading to customer dissatisfaction.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Poor communication about changes in features
Bugs in revamped workflows during deployment
SIGNALS MISSED
Early feedback highlighting missing features in beta
Customer complaints about broken workflows post-update
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Running beta programs with clear communication on changes
Ensuring robust QA testing before rollout
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Engineering, Customer Success, QA
Hootsuite Paid Ad Manager
AdTech
Hootsuite
The feature for managing paid ads on social media platforms underperformed due to bugs and limited targeting options.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Bugs in ad creation and reporting workflows
Lack of advanced targeting compared to native platforms
SIGNALS MISSED
User feedback highlighting poor ad performance metrics
Low usage rates for the paid ads feature
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Ensuring parity with native ad platforms’ targeting options
Conducting extensive testing before deployment
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Engineering, QA, Marketing
Canva Content Planner (Early Versions)
MarTech
Canva
The tool failed to meet expectations as a comprehensive content calendar due to limited scheduling options and third-party integrations.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Lack of robust integration with popular social platforms
Poor feature set for advanced scheduling needs
SIGNALS MISSED
User feedback requesting integrations with key platforms
High churn among early adopters
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Partnering with social platforms for better API integrations
Adding features tailored for advanced marketing teams
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Design, Marketing, Engineering
IBM Watson Marketing
MarTech
IBM
Despite its advanced AI capabilities, the platform struggled with usability, leading to low adoption among non-technical marketers.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Overly complex interface and features
Poor alignment with day-to-day marketing workflows
SIGNALS MISSED
High drop-off rates during onboarding
Feedback indicating that the platform was too technical
HOW COULD THEY HAVE AVOIDED THIS
Simplifying the user interface for non-technical marketers
Offering tailored training sessions for new users
TEAMS INVOLVED
Product, Design, AI, Customer Success, Marketing