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Better products often fail
by
Carolyn
https://www.abortretry.fail/p/better-products-often-fail
Bunch of BS in this article.
Sure, technically speaking SOME of these were better, but there is also a lot of subjectivity to what is better once we look past the specs. Look at iOS vs android, why one person chooses one over the other often has nothing to do with one being better than the other. Arguably Apple's marketing goes a long way to getting users. So, ironically, your point at the end that better products fail because they don't have good marketing/press etc. is exactly the reason why other products succeed.
That's why I'm only building mediocre software :P
It has never been about a product in this world -and it will never be about it.
A farmer with the same grains or vegetables may be more successful than others.
It's never about the product again, but product and marketing.
May be sad but true.
I agree with your sentiment, it is not only about the product. Although, a "highly-likely to succeed" product can be crafted by looking at the market forces and customer needs.
But marketing is the product. Traditional "marketing mix", also known as the "4Ps of Marketing", places the product right at the centre of marketing. Marketing is not just promotion.
Also, good to note: grains or vegetables (or fruits, for that matter) are not products. They are commodities. Products commoditize over time (mostly due to the market forces). But they are not commodities yet. So your business can't be the same if you are selling grains or SaaS.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read and reply :)
A couple of points:
Yep, but when we are selling marketing as a product. What I meant was marketing FOR a product.
My reference to those was a symbolic one. But yes, they are also a product, if not software ones :). There were many successful social media products before Facebook, including Myspace, Yik Yak, Vine, Friendster, Mixi (Japan's number 1 in the past)... and many others. Which all disappeared because of marketing and branding.
Whether it is grains or vegetables (big farm industries and not the small ones as small ones would need sales and not marketing), everything needs best marketing - even the best products of the world.
Just my 2 Cents.
I am not referring to the "marketing as a product" in my above comment. Product is traditionally a part of "marketing mix". As in "marketing" as a function, is responsible for product. Product is not separate from marketing. Marketing is responsible for everything that is relevant to the market, yes, including product.
In the widest possible definition, yes. But from a product availability/evolution standpoint, they are commodities. You can't tell apart a wheat grain from another one. Yet, you can tell apart Facebook from Myspace or Tide from OxiClean.
Possibly not because of branding. Facebook responded better to the market dynamics. It was not just about their brand or promotion. It was also hugely related to their business strategy as well.
I agree with that. But I would like to adjust it as "even the best businesses need the best marketing."
A sad truth lol
As these are all software examples, it's hard to say whether it was really to do with one product being better or worse than another. The tech space is fickle and moves fast, so I'd say this has more of an impact on product-market fit, and that is really what is the problem here.