Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” His words remind us that even the biggest missteps offer valuable lessons.
In this third edition of famous failures, we’re exploring some of history’s strangest and most significant catastrophes. Just like in the first and second editions, we’re drawing essential insights from these moments to prevent MSP disasters and identify opportunities to grow.
#7: The Hindenburg Disaster: When Cutting Corners Leads to Disaster
- Failure Summary: The Hindenburg was a German airship that infamously caught fire and was destroyed in 1937, largely due to the use of highly flammable hydrogen instead of safer helium.
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Lesson for MSPs: Opting for short-term savings over long-term safety can lead to catastrophic failures. Whether it’s using cheaper hardware, skipping cybersecurity best practices, or rushing projects, MSPs need to prioritize quality and safety in every decision.
- Conclusion: Cutting corners leads to disaster. To avoid an MSP disaster of similar proportions, make quality and safety a priority. Nothing says ‘client retention problem’ like a giant metaphorical fireball.
#8: Theranos: Avoiding Overhype and Delivering on Your Promises
- Failure Summary: Theranos was a health technology company that promised groundbreaking blood-testing technology—but ultimately failed to deliver. The company collapsed in one of the biggest scandals in Silicon Valley history.
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Lesson for MSPs: If Theranos ran an MSP, you’d have the most overhyped, under-delivered services in the business. Never oversell. Be transparent about your capabilities and avoid hyping up services that aren’t ready for prime time.
- Conclusion: The Theranos meltdown reminds MSPs to keep their businesses grounded in reality—clients will appreciate honesty over empty hype any day.
#9: Quibi: Why Timing and Execution Matter in Launching New Services
- Failure Summary: Quibi, the short-form streaming platform, launched in 2020 with big names and massive investments, only to shut down after six months due to poor timing and a lack of market demand.
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Lesson for MSPs: Timing is everything when launching new services. You can have the best idea, but if it’s not what the market needs (or wants) at the time, it will flop. Make sure your MSP’s new services are aligned with current client needs and market conditions.
- Conclusion: Quibi teaches us that no matter how innovative your idea, if it’s poorly timed or there’s no demand, it’s going to crash and burn. Make sure your new MSP services meet a real need and hit the market at the right moment.
Featured Image: iStock
Additional Images: DALLE-3
