Google has failed 267 times and that is why it is successful. (2024)

Yesterday, I received a notification that Google Podcasts is going away.

As of Q2 2023, Google's revenue was over $74.3 billion. Google's products and services have more than 4.3 billion users worldwide. Despite many failed product launches, Google is still a highly successful company with a massive global user base, substantial revenue, and a significant global impact. Its continuous innovation and expansion into various sectors have contributed to its success and influence in the technology industry.

There are several lessons that #startups can learn from failures of established companies:

1. Customer engagement: Constantly talking to #users and understanding their needs is crucial for startups. By engaging with customers, startups can identify problems with existing solutions, understand customer needs, and guide the development of a product that people want.

2. Iterative product development: Building products that users love involves focusing on the customer and iterating on the #product based on their feedback. Startups should #launch quickly, listen to their users, and make improvements accordingly.

3. Persistence in finding product-market fit: Finding #productmarketfit is essential for a startup's success. Startups should focus on a market where users have a real, meaningful problem and be persistent in refining their product until they achieve product-market fit.

4. Learning from failure: Embracing #failure and learning from it is a key aspect in starting startups. Startups should analyze their failures, identify the reasons behind them, and use these lessons to improve their products and strategies.

5. Adaptability: Startups should be willing to #pivot their strategies and adapt to changing market conditions. This may involve launching new products, targeting different customer #segments, or modifying their business models.

6. Resilience: Building a successful startup is a challenging journey filled with ups and downs. Entrepreneurs should be resilient and persistent in the face of setbacks and failures, using these experiences to grow and improve their businesses.

Failures like Google's Podcasts going away highlight the importance of understanding customer needs, iterating on products based on user feedback, and being persistent in finding product-market fit. Even the most innovative companies can experience setbacks and failures, but learning from these experiences and adapting to changing market conditions can lead to eventual success.