logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2019
32m 29s

Kodak misses its moment

American Public Media
About this episode

The world's largest photography company pioneers the snapshot, invents the digital camera and... declares bankruptcy.


You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on Twitter and Instagram at @oberandout.


Spectacular Failures is powered by you. Support the show with a donation at spectacularfailures.org/donate.

Up next
Jul 2019
Family fighting sends U-Haul on a detour
Failed therapy sessions, fistfights in the board room and even murder accusations. U-Haul’s trip to bankruptcy will make you think twice about mixing business and family.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagr ... Show More
33m 37s
Jul 2019
The inferno that transformed American labor
The aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire helped usher in higher wages, safer conditions and a prohibition on child labor. But the problems that led to the fire haven’t gone away. Not even close.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failur ... Show More
35m 39s
Aug 2019
Lincoln Savings loses it all
Charles Keating robbed working people of their life savings and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. All under the watch of powerful politicians.You can follow Spectacular Failures on Twitter and Facebook using @failureshow. We're @failure_show on Instagram. Follow Lauren Ober on ... Show More
37m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2021
Finshots Special | From pioneers to defaulters; the rise and fall of Videocon
<p>In today’s episode of Finshots Special, we’ll talk about how Videocon’s endless borrowing spree gave rise to the biggest corporate bankruptcy case in Indian banking history.</p> <p>But let’s start from the beginning- back when Videocon was the king of consumer electronics in I ... Show More
5m 2s
Nov 2025
Why are analogue cameras experiencing a comeback?
We go to the heart of street photography in Berlin, Germany, to visit an independent camera shop where sales of analogue cameras are flying because of celebrities opting for old school tech. And we go behind the lens to the development labs to discover the rising demands and risi ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2023
The Rise and Fall of 8K Miles Software aka SecureKloud
<p>In today&#39;s episode for 8th April 2023, we dive into how a company that was once the next big thing lost the plot. The arrest of two of its co-founders isn’t a good look, no? </p> 
7m 9s
Sep 2025
Polaroid chases a comeback with the camera for an analog life
<p>Remember Polaroid and its instant photo proposition? For some it’s a dusty icon of the past, but for others it might just be the latest innovative idea. Polaroid&apos;s internal creative and planning leads, Patricia Varella and Dovile Banyte join me to talk about &quot;The cam ... Show More
28m 22s
Sep 2023
The Top Seven Biggest Business Mistakes!
Send us a textWhen a company, brand or product gets really big, it can be easy to imagine that company will remain in business forever. Yet businesses rise and fall over time, with millions and billions of dollars changing hands as executives try to stay current on what consumers ... Show More
20m 57s
Apr 2016
Big Tech's Big Miss
Alphabet, Microsoft, and Netflix slip. McDonald's surprises. And Under Armour rises. Plus, CNBC's Becky Quick previews the annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
39m 10s
May 2022
Snap Goes Down, Takes Others With It
It's a rare day when a single $20 billion-dollar company drags much larger businesses down with it. (0:25) Tim Beyers discusses: - Snap's 40% drop and CEO Evan Spiegel's less-than-great communication around guidance - The ripple effect on Alphabet, Meta Platforms, The Trade Desk, ... Show More
24m 36s
Oct 2025
🪞 “Mirror, no Mirror?” — Aritzia’s mirrorless fashion. Nobel’s Creative Destruction prize. Strava’s Garmin lawsuit. +Failure Day
Canada’s Aritzia is now as valuable as The Gap or Levi’s… But it’s doing it with mirrorless dressing rooms.Strava sued Garmin as the running app preps to IPO… It’s social networks vs. satellite networks.The Nobel Prize in Economics goes to “Creative Destruction”... so we read the ... Show More
22m 55s
May 2023
The Sunny Side of Bankruptcy
Felix, Mihir and their colleague Kristin Mugford debate the merits of using bankruptcy to shield companies from consumer lawsuits. Should we allow companies to bundle lawsuits, place them in a designated subsidiary with few assets and let that subsidiary go bankrupt? Might this a ... Show More
35m 17s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami