7 Reasons Products Fail (and How Product Managers Can Prevent Them)

Why do so many products fail—and how can product managers prevent it before launch? Short answer: Most product failures are predictable. They happen when teams skip customer insight, misjudge value, mistime the market, or launch without a clear path to business impact. In this Productside Product Management Leadership Series webinar, Jake Yingling (Client Services Lead, Productside) and Kenny Kranseler (Principal Consultant & Trainer, Productside) break down the seven most common, recurring reasons products fail—and what product managers can do differently to reduce risk and increase success. This is not theory or hype. It’s a practical, execution-focused walkthrough of real product failure patterns seen across B2B, B2C, enterprise, and startup environments. What you’ll learn: • Why 65–90% of products fail—and how to beat the odds • How lack of customer insight quietly kills products • Why targeting the wrong market guarantees failure • How weak value propositions stall adoption • The role of business models in long-term product survival • How poor execution and MVP mistakes derail momentum • Why bad timing (too early or too late) can doom great ideas • How weak go-to-market strategy and messaging undermine launches • Why working backwards from the customer experience reduces failure • How dashboards and metrics align teams around outcomes Key takeaway: Product failure isn’t random—it’s the result of avoidable decisions. When PMs define success early, validate real value, and stay outcome-focused, products succeed far more often. 280 Group is now Productside. Featured speakers: • Kenny Kranseler, Principal Consultant & Trainer, Productside • Jake Yingling, Former VP, Client Services, Productside and Director of Product Management, The Cigna Group About Productside: Productside (formerly 280 Group) is an outcome-driven product partner helping teams build products that matter through training, consulting, and advisory services. Learn more: https://www.productside.com Follow Productside for more product leadership insights: Instagram:   / productside_   LinkedIn:   / productside   X: https://x.com/productside_ Facebook:   / productside