The end of the year is almost here, and you know what that means—year-end content galore. Whether it’s Spotify Wrapped exposing your questionable music choices or your fitness app reminding you how many workouts you skipped, this season is all about reflection. Typically, we celebrate wins during this time, but Inc. is flipping the script with their annual article, The Worst Business Fails of 2024. It’s all about failure, and honestly, we’re here for it.
Season two of our podcast Sprints & Milestones took a similar approach. We invited guests to share stories of professional failure, but we always made sure to guide the conversation toward lessons learned. Because let’s face it—every misstep or mistake is an opportunity to learn and get better. It’s a philosophy that also underpins our work with Teamangle, where we help teams navigate challenges in communication, collaboration, and culture to build stronger, more resilient organizations.
So, in a way, we’re rounding out Inc.’s article with this post. Let’s dive into three of the biggest business blunders of the year and the lessons they hold for all of us.
Jaguar’s Disastrous EV Teaser
What do haute couture fashion shoots, lunar landscapes, and luxury cars have in common? Jaguar’s Type 00, I guess? As the article puts it, the ad “looks more like a haute couture fashion shoot on the lunar surface drenched in LSD.” To make matters worse, the 30-second ad didn’t even show the car—just cryptic slogans like "live vivid" and "delete ordinary." This creative gamble earned the company backlash from conservative pundits, who accused it of being too "woke," and left viewers confused about the product itself. Eventually, Jaguar released more information about the Type 00, a prototype that’s been compared to a pink Batmobile. "Many people are saying this."
Lesson Learned: Clarity builds trust. Jaguar’s EV teaser wasn’t just unclear—it strained trust. The bold creative approach overshadowed the product itself, leaving audiences confused and disconnected. Bold ideas are valuable, but they must align with the audience’s expectations and clearly communicate value. For teams, this reinforces the need to drive impactful communication that reduces friction and builds trust. Clear messaging that aligns with shared goals strengthens understanding and confidence, fostering collaboration and forward momentum.
Google Recommends Glue for Dinner
Google’s mad dash to dominate the AI revolution hit a sticky snag—literally. In May, its shiny new AI Overviews tool suggested something interesting, disgusting, and maybe dangerous for the children. "One of those search queries yielded results that unleashed a culinary nightmare: It recommended to users that they put glue on pizza," the article explains. As absurd as it sounds, the advice originated from a 12-year-old Reddit joke. Google’s botched rollout became a meme and highlighted a critical lesson.
Lesson Learned: Preparation ensures trust. Google’s AI misstep is a reminder that trust is built through consistent, thorough preparation. AI may promise speed, but without rigorous testing and oversight, it risks undermining confidence. Similarly, in team settings, activating collaboration requires careful preparation and accountability. Teams that rigorously test and refine their ideas build trust, avoid costly errors, and create sustainable solutions.
Mattel’s Porn Slip-Up
Mattel’s commemorative toy launch for the film adaptation of Wicked went off the rails in the most unfortunate way. Instead of directing consumers to the movie’s website, the link on the doll’s packaging led to a porn company. As the article explains, "The dolls were pulled from the shelves of big box retailers such as Target and Kohls, and Amazon sales were also halted." Cue the lawsuits: one South Carolina mother filed a proposed class action seeking $5 million in damages, claiming her four-year-old daughter stumbled upon the explicit site.
Lesson Learned: Details create confidence. Mattel’s blunder underscores the importance of meticulous attention to detail. For teams, this speaks to the value of shaping a culture of accountability. When team members feel responsible for their work and the details that underpin it, they can avoid oversights that lead to larger problems. Strong teams cultivate trust by embedding quality and accountability in their processes.
CrowdStrike’s Global Outage
CrowdStrike’s summer software update didn’t just glitch—it unleashed chaos across 8.5 million devices running on Windows, earning the dubious title of "the most catastrophic software glitch in history." Delta canceled thousands of flights, and entire industries, from healthcare to banking, tallied billions in losses. As the article notes, "The faulty update crashed the computer systems of all subscribers who use Windows, no matter their size."
Lesson Learned: Quality drives trust. For a cybersecurity firm, the irony of causing one of the largest software glitches in history is hard to ignore. This failure highlights the importance of building trust through rigorous testing and quality assurance. Teams that emphasize quality over speed-to-market create the confidence and reliability necessary for long-term success.
Looking towards 2025
As we close out the year, these stories serve as important reminders that even the biggest companies make mistakes. What sets great leaders and organizations apart is how they respond to those mistakes. From communicating with empathy to preparing for the unexpected, there’s always a lesson to be learned. It’s also a reminder that fostering strong communication, collaboration, and culture—as we do with Teamangle—can help prevent these kinds of blunders in the first place.
So, while we’re all looking back at the year and planning for the next, let’s remember that failure is just another step on the path to success. Here’s to learning, growing, and doing better in 2025.
