The Great Fail

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The Great Fail is a true crime inspired, business podcast that examines the greatest success stories of the most prominent and prolific companies, brands, and people and what led to their demise. If you love true crime and stories of massive failures, you've come to the right place! Here we take a forensic look at stories that will irk you, shock you, and have you picking your jaw up off the floor, all while learning the oftentimes avoidable, mistakes that have ended the lives of companies and left boardrooms looking like crime scenes.


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Recent Episodes
  • Flashback: Quibi's Sunken Ship
    Jun 5, 2024 – 34:26
  • Episode 67: Space Shuttle Challenger
    May 23, 2024 – 42:20
  • Episode 66: Zume’s Meltdown
    May 8, 2024 – 26:47
  • Episode 65: Action Park’s Final Thrill
    Apr 24, 2024 – 23:21
  • Episode 64: The IN-Vince-able McMahon
    Apr 9, 2024 – 32:29
  • Episode 63: Quiznos is Toast
    Oct 19, 2023 – 26:54
  • Episode 62: Kittyhawk: From Moonshot to a Longshot
    Oct 4, 2023 – 29:20
  • TGF Presents: Marketing Vanguard
    Sep 21, 2023 – 46:57
  • Episode 61: The Wing(s) Get Clipped
    Aug 17, 2023 – 25:06
  • Episode 60: Bed, Bath &…Bankrupted
    Aug 2, 2023 – 24:56
  • Flashback: The DeLorean: Time Machine to Nowhere
    Jul 19, 2023 – 27:32
  • Episode 59: Revlon Gets Creamed
    Jul 5, 2023 – 27:55
  • Episode 58: When the Wheels Came Off for Schwinn Bicycles
    Jun 21, 2023 – 20:03
  • Episode 57: The Downfall of the Mars Hill Church
    Jun 7, 2023 – 21:11
  • Episode 56: FTX - From Irresistible to Criminal
    May 24, 2023 – 26:53
  • Episode 55: Silicon Valley Bank: From Boom to Bust
    May 10, 2023 – 24:25
  • Flashback: Adapt or Die - The Fall of Tower Records
    Dec 22, 2022 – 28:02
  • Flashback: GameStop - The Big Short....Squeeze
    Dec 8, 2022 – 28:11
  • Flashback: The Blockbuster Bust
    Nov 18, 2022 – 28:25
  • Bonus Episode: Introducing Metaverse Marketing
    Nov 3, 2022 – 28:53
  • Episode 54: LulaRoe Leggings Stretches the Law
    Oct 20, 2022 – 26:21
  • Episode 53: Valeant: Death by Poison Pill
    Oct 6, 2022 – 23:14
  • Bonus Episode: Introducing Home / Work
    Sep 22, 2022 – 35:43
  • Episode 52: Bikram Yoga, From Super-Heated to Overheated
    Sep 1, 2022 – 21:27
  • Episode 51: Why the World Unfriended MySpace
    Aug 18, 2022 – 27:48
  • Episode 50: Terra: Crypto’s TERRA-ble Crash
    Aug 3, 2022 – 31:48
  • Episode 49: Von Dutch, From Price Tags to Toe Tags
    Jul 20, 2022 – 21:20
  • Bonus Episode: The Speed of Culture Podcast
    Jul 6, 2022 – 25:58
  • Episode 48: Phar-Mor, From Savior to Misbehavior
    Jun 22, 2022 – 26:08
  • Episode 47: Kmart, From Blue Light Special to Candlelight Vigil
    Jun 8, 2022 – 27:35
  • Episode 46: Carrian Group Swim with the Fishes
    May 25, 2022 – 24:14
  • Episode 45: How Jawbone went from Wearable to Terrible
    May 11, 2022 – 24:12
  • Episode 44: Zillow Offers, From Flip to Flop
    Apr 27, 2022 – 21:44
  • Special Announcement + Encore Episode: MoviePass Roll the Credits
    Apr 13, 2022 – 26:18
  • Episode 43: Ayds Gets a Trim Down
    Mar 30, 2022 – 19:24
  • Episode 42: Circuit City: Electronic Retail Giant Short-Circuits
    Mar 16, 2022 – 28:15
  • Episode 41: Ctrl+Alt+Del, Microsoft’s Mixer
    Mar 2, 2022 – 23:39
  • Episode 40: The DeLorean: Time Machine to Nowhere
    Feb 16, 2022 – 27:32
  • Coming Soon: Season 2 of The Great Fail
    Nov 11, 2021 – 7:20
  • Episode 39: Final Buzzer for Modell’s Sporting Goods
    Sep 22, 2021 – 20:44
  • Episode 38: The Final Descent for Trump Shuttle
    Aug 25, 2021 – 25:11
  • Episode 37: How Pier 1 Imports Sank
    Aug 11, 2021 – 25:18
  • Episode 36: MoviePass Roll the Credits
    Jul 28, 2021 – 24:42
  • Encore Episode: Adapt or Die, The Fall of Tower Records
    Jul 15, 2021 – 28:38
  • Episode 35: United Airlines, Fly the Not-So-Friendly Skies
    Jun 30, 2021 – 19:55
  • Encore Episode: Bre-X: Fool's Gold
    Jun 17, 2021 – 24:30
  • Episode 34: How HQ Trivia Crashed
    May 19, 2021 – 27:55
  • Episode 33: XFL’s Fatal Fumble
    May 5, 2021 – 26:24
  • Episode 32: Archegos Capital, A Greek Tragedy
    Apr 21, 2021 – 29:07
  • Episode 31: Kodak: Missing the Moment
    Apr 7, 2021 – 27:09
Recent Reviews
  • Madman maddy
    Must listen for entrepreneurs but enjoyable for anyone!
    This Great Fail podcast was both entertaining and insightful.
  • robynyoungco
    Best podcast ever
    Entertaining, educational, well researched, theres so much to love about this podcast (please don't let us go 6 months without it again!)
  • Dylan_H_14
    More ads than show
    This should could be good if it weren’t 75% ads, like the most ads I’ve ever heard packed into such short episodes
  • Cyber_Topanga
    Good podcast
    I love the stories shared in this podcast and I listen faithfully. I am only put off by the sound effects that just don’t mesh well. It’s just distracting and sometimes actually startles me. Just get rid of those please.
  • sooty chat
    3 stars for poor audio mixing and intro/outdo music
    Understandable that the reason for company or brand failure gets repetitive—not in tune with the times and trends, slow to react to changing business models, etc. But the audio capture of those interviewed over phone lines or zoom needs to be cleaned up; very muzzy and mushy. And the theme music has to go: sounds as if a kid is banging on a thin/tin pot lid.
  • Arocello
    Favorite show
    So entertaining!
  • Steve 2288
    Really informative and entertaining
    Great lessons to help people in business today, as well as providing great details into some of the most memorable business collapses of the last 40 years.
  • Roggs NJ
    2nd To None
    I can’t wait for every podcast of The Great Fail. It’s well-written, conciase, clearly delivered and researched only the truth without exagerating. I wish you all the best. Keep on podcasting!
  • Noodle5252
    Great stories told by a great host
    Top notch stories, diligent reporting, and a great presentation voice make this show a must-listen for me!
  • weisenheimer99
    Background mix
    Stories are interesting but the background noise/muzak is totally obnoxious and so disruptive to listening I couldn’t listen any longer.
  • dinahbytes
    Love the show
    Well-researched, clear prose, and interesting topics. I love learning about business failures and so far this podcast is my favorite one covering the subject. Thank you to the entire team for making such great content.
  • sjane22
    Love
    This podcast is everything I hoped Spectacular Failures would be! So glad I found it!
  • erica.hassink
    Great Fail = Great SUCCESS!
    A perfect binge listen - lush production, well researched stories. Host has a great voice and great perspective. Can’t recommend highly enough, and can’t wait to listen to what comes next!
  • Brian Geery
    Great listen
    Debra is an excellent host, the pace is perfect, the stories are intriguing, and the lessons are invaluable.
  • Reluctant_apper
    New favorite business podcast!
    Last week, my baby slammed his head into the spot just above my eye, and gave me a concussion. I couldn't look at a screen, and all I could do was listen to podcasts. Fortunately, I discovered The Great Fail and promptly binge listened to every episode, one after another. I LOVE the format. It's straightforward storytelling, very well researched with one or two interviews woven in. The host does such a great job balancing her expertise and personal experience with the focus on the story. Every episode has a nice rise and fall arc, with a moral. Despite the formulaic approach, there's enough variety in the structure of the writing, which is really strong. I also love the host's voice. I'm a sucker for business building/ failure stories and have listened to A LOT of podcasts on the topic. This is the one I've been waiting for. Congratulations and please keep them coming!
  • Sedale
    Enjoyable listen, highly recommended
    Engaging content. I appreciated the authors insights into a variety of brand stories. Looking forward to hearing more!
  • yaJmadA
    Cool Storytelling Style
    I love the voice clips that is nice way to break up some of the information! Keeps you engaged :)
  • Elana Basova
    ...
    Brilliant!!!!
  • Wild fog
    Superb storytelling- needs to be a documentary!
    All of these episodes are wonderfully wrought by Debra Chen. I am rooting for her to pitch the idea for a Netflix documentary or fun series.
  • stwa geeks
    Rad podcast!
    Best podcast ever!
  • Internetshopaholic
    Thank goodness!
    Debra Chen is an amazing story teller. I love her style and delivery. I feel like i just took a business class at Wharton after listening to her episodes.
  • dCKV888
    True crime and business cases?
    Love the concept!
  • hypnotoad11
    Informative and fun
    Each episode is a delight to listen through and the series so far made a fun binge!
  • Stephanie (Steph)
    Compelling
    Very compelling concept with unique stories. Glad I listened.
  • AVP1984
    Great storytelling!
    I really liked this - episodes went by quickly but I learned a lot! The host has a great sense of storytelling.
  • BarbaraRochester
    The world’s greatest fails
    As our economy sinks further into the toilet, I can’t help but enjoy the schadenfreude that comes with listening to The Great Fail. Who knew that “having a bad vibe” was so important to a CEO’s wife (WeWork) or that light up shoes once, tragically, could cause mercury poisoning? (LA Gear) A fun podcast for dismal times. Keep em coming!
  • Suzlynn1
    A Must Listen!
    I wasn’t expecting the high quality production and story telling when I first listened. I was blown away and couldn’t stop listening! I’m hooked!!!
  • Jim not Jamie
    Great show
    Informative and fun. Great to unwind to.
  • dennyg108
    The Best!
    No idea these hidden stories existed! Love hearing the insights and history of prominent people. Thank you!!
  • Mr.Arandia
    Insightful and entertaining
    In a culture that celebrates success this podcast has a refreshing perspective that peaks behind the curtain on some “success “ and their ultimate demise . I can’t wait to hear more stories .
  • firstclassupgrade
    Great lessons learned
    A business and history lesson wrapped into one quick podcast. Great for listening on the road or while traveling.
  • xplodingfist
    Great podcast!
    Interesting, relevant and fun. My whole family devoured a bunch of episodes on a road trip recently. Highly recommended!
  • comnenus 111
    FAIL succeeds
    ENJOY these stories - chockfull of wisdom and super listenable
  • Kevin1234692972748291827373
    Great Series!
    Really interesting to see this perspective in business! Would love to hear about how Tower Records or Robinson-May failed 🥴
  • RaamGlobal
    Eye Opening Lessons of Great Failure
    Debra does a great job capturing the lessons of great failures. Knowing these great lessons we can progress in a better way. It's a super cool & interesting listen!
  • thestilettogal
    Innovative
    Love this take on telling the story of failures in business all while giving us tips on not what to do
  • MH Audio
    A Great Use of 20 Minutes
    Personally, I don't know much about the business world and have never had a great interest in True Crime, but still I love this podcast! Each episode is so well researched, and the inclusion of experts in each episode really help to lend credence to the points Debra makes. Also, gotta love that sound design!
  • lil 12 year old w/ braces
    So Good!!!
    Great educational podcast! Enjoyed it so much!
  • Mike Thal
    Fun, Informative, and Great Presentation
    Debra and the team strike an amazing balance between "real crime" tone, interesting stories, and engaging presentation. The narration, music, sound effects, and production are top notch. The Great Fail is a podcast to keep your eye on!
  • Oh-Formidable
    Insightful, Entertaining & Addictive!
    Beautifully produced and fascinating content. Debra's approach to storytelling is spot on; the pacing, the build up, the reveal and the anticipated crescendo...I love it! Insightful, entertaining, and addictive!
  • Russ718
    Great pod
    Love the LA gear episode. You have a new listener 👌
  • Jacob Stein from GA
    Love this concept!
    As a huge true crime fan, I love the concept of this podcast. Debra is great storyteller! It’s so interesting to hear how these companies were once so big and had giant downfalls. Can’t wait to hear more!
  • bobateasixnine
    Awesome show!
    “Great listen, happy to come across this”
  • JerryMaArt
    Artist
    I'm pretty new to podcasts, but really enjoyed listening to this one. Looking forward to keeping up with what Debra is doing going forward and highly recommend it.
  • GabbyStark
    Great content, great lessons
    So weirdly comforting to hear about the rise and fall of others - totally addicted!
  • ars5005
    Fascinating stories!
    What a great podcast! Each episode is fascinating and intriguing. Debra is an excellent storyteller and gives the listener an inside look at some of the greatest successes and failures in recent history. I highly recommend it!
  • JSun14
    Not your typical business podcast!
    Super informative and entertaining. The storytelling captivates you from the very beginning and keeps you engaged throughout. Great lessons for someone launching a business or currently owns one. I highly recommend!!
  • Trivet23
    Amazing idea
    We can so often learn more from our failures than our successes. Thanks for bringing your podcast to life.
  • ChiTown Tony
    Excellent
    This is an amazing podcast series. It really tied together all the information and drama of the business failure. Well researched and entertaining. Keep up the good work. You've got a subscriber in me.
  • @about time
    Great podcast
    Very informative AND entertaining - well executed
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