Biggest Tech Flops: Critical Lessons for the Modern Entrepreneur

It seems like everyone knows the future.

At least, that’s the impression you get from most technology, business, and political commentators. And it’s easy to see why – Everyone loves a futurist. We want the security of being able to plan around sure bets. We like the intrigue of promising trends.

But not every technological innovation catches on as foretold.

Remember when Google Glass was going to be the future? Back in 2013, there was a lot of buzz around the “ubiquitous computer” that would provide a heads-up display in front of users’ eyes all day, at all times. It was going to revolutionize the world. It was going to change everything.

It didn’t.

Turns out, people don’t want to stare at a computer screen 100% of the time, and the obvious privacy concerns were enough to start Google Glass bans in many common locations before they even got momentum.

Meta, unfortunately, seems not to have learned the lesson that consumers typically don’t enjoy having computers strapped to their faces. VR headset sales are down 40% from 2022 (building on a decline from 2021-2022), and despite many billions of dollars poured into development and marketing, it looks like the Metaverse, at least for the moment, just isn’t going to happen like they said.

Today, we’re going to look at a fabulous technological revolution that never happened, plus one tech company’s failed assault on an established market space, in order to pick up on some lessons learned. Hopefully, we can avoid the same mistakes in our own endeavors – and keep an eye out as investors…

Pillar Two Tax reform, an international agreement signed by 138 countries representing 90% of all economic activity, goes into effect this year. Aimed at removing individual nations’ incentives to race to the bottom in order to attract corporations, Pillar Two institutes a 15% global minimum tax on all revenue earned in each participating country for multi-national companies earning more than $750 million in revenue. Despite sounding straightforward, experts assure us it is quite complex…

The Biden administration announced nearly $5 billion in student loan forgiveness this past week, based largely on what jobs the borrowers perform. 74,000 teachers, nurses, firefighters, and other public workers will have their debts crossed out and passed to the general public…

2023 was a challenging year for non-profits, due to staffing shortages, uncertain future revenue models, employee burnout, and a lackluster Giving Tuesday that fell short of expectations, seeing just a 0.6% increase in donations in a year of at least 3.4% inflation, along with a 10% reduction in the number of donors participating…

Your weekly chance to test your Bible knowledge! The answer to today’s question may surprise you:

Q: What are the names of Noah’s three sons?

Answer at the bottom

TIPS & TRICKS

Best Christian Podcasts

Whether you need something edifying to listen to on your daily commute, are searching for a resource to help you get a daily dose of scripture, or are interested in leadership advice from a Christian perspective, there is a podcast for you. Today, we want to highlight 4 of the best Christian podcasts that might be just what you’ve been looking for.

Pray the Word – With David Platt

Renowned author, pastor, and speaker David Platt wants to pray through the scriptures with you in a daily, short-form podcast (4-7 minutes) that are perfect for starting your morning drive. David reads a scripture, offers a meditation based on the reading, invites you to pray with him, and then sends you off with a clear intention for the day. Perfect for the busy executive, entrepreneur, or high-powered worker trying to find ways to get more scripture into his or her day…

• Donald Trump wins the New Hampshire Republican Primary with 54.5% of the vote.
  

• Chinese and Hong Kong stocks continue crashing, having wiped $6 trillion off the board in the last 3 years.
  

• Sports Illustrated begins laying off its entire staff, and likely will not bounce back.
  

• Luke Larson of Relevant explains how doubt saved his faith.
  

• The SEC backs conservative Apple shareholders in their objections to the app store’s alleged ideological discrimination.