30 Dumb Decisions Companies Made Then Regretted After It Was Too Late

Apparently, not every business has a strong company strategy.

Some companies make one bad call and spend years paying for it. Others make a string of them, then watch the damage pile up until the market has already moved on.

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This roundup looks at the business decisions people still talk about, from missed tech opportunities to brand missteps that helped push major companies into decline. The original post asked Redditors to name the dumbest choices companies made and later regretted, and the replies came fast.

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Here are 30 examples of companies that blew their chances, and in some cases never recovered.

They blew up every golden opportunity that came their way.

They blew up every golden opportunity that came their way.WolfgangCaesar
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Instead of catering to their largest customer base, they did the opposite.

Instead of catering to their largest customer base, they did the opposite.WolfgangCaesar
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You'd think they would have some kind of time limit.

You'd think they would have some kind of time limit.WolfgangCaesar

That kind of timing mistake can haunt a company for years.

Really bad move.

Really bad move.WolfgangCaesar

That's actually insane.

That's actually insane.WolfgangCaesar

Wow, reverse psychology.

Wow, reverse psychology.WolfgangCaesar

Raikkonen forgave millions from those bonuses so people could keep their jobs.

Raikkonen forgave millions from those bonuses so people could keep their jobs.WolfgangCaesar

This is just sad.

This is just sad.WolfgangCaesar

This has to be the worst business idea ever.

This has to be the worst business idea ever.WolfgangCaesar

Some of these choices were hard to recover from once the damage was done.

No one even tried to reboot MySpace.

No one even tried to reboot MySpace.WolfgangCaesar

Another bad decision.

Another bad decision.WolfgangCaesar

Kodak was all the craze back then. SMH.

Kodak was all the craze back then. SMH.WolfgangCaesar

Reminds me of Orkut.

Reminds me of Orkut.WolfgangCaesar

It’s insane how diversified that company was.

It’s insane how diversified that company was.WolfgangCaesar

They were ruined long before that, to be honest.

They were ruined long before that, to be honest.WolfgangCaesar

Legend has it that it was the anonymous bullying that led to all this.

Legend has it that it was the anonymous bullying that led to all this.WolfgangCaesar

That’s the kind of detail people never forget.

It’s a lot like the business owner weighing whether to accept in-laws’ money, despite their financial past, in this “should I let my in-laws invest in my business?” conflict.

They also removed commission.

They also removed commission.WolfgangCaesar

Fun fact: Kodak invented the digital camera.

Fun fact: Kodak invented the digital camera.WolfgangCaesar

Barnes and Noble brings back so many memories.

Barnes and Noble brings back so many memories.WolfgangCaesar

Wow, I didn't know this.

Wow, I didn't know this.WolfgangCaesar

If it's not broken, don't fix it - gone wrong.

If it's not broken, don't fix it - gone wrong.WolfgangCaesar

This hurt everyone, though.

This hurt everyone, though.WolfgangCaesar

Don't mean to laugh, but ROFL.

Don't mean to laugh, but ROFL.WolfgangCaesar

Missed opportunity.

Missed opportunity.WolfgangCaesar

LOL.

Company tweet or marketing post with ROFL reaction, sparked public outrageWolfgangCaesar

This is wrong, but wow. I wonder what they were thinking.

This is wrong, but wow. I wonder what they were thinking.WolfgangCaesar

There was so much outrage when this happened.

There was so much outrage when this happened.WolfgangCaesar

This also put everyone off Google+.

This also put everyone off Google+.WolfgangCaesar

Bad idea to keep using the same name, honestly.

Bad idea to keep using the same name, honestly.WolfgangCaesar

Radio Shack in the '90s was magical.

Radio Shack in the '90s was magical.WolfgangCaesar

Companies spend a lot of time forecasting and planning, but when they miss out on opportunities, all their calculations and forecasts go down the drain.

No one is immune to bad decisions, but in order to survive, we must ride with time and latch onto better opportunities.

Some brands never get a second chance to fix a mistake like this.

After refusing to repay a friend for a failed investment, see how that argument played out in this “should I pay back my friend after an investment disaster?” debate.

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