Failure Quote by Clayton M. Christensen
““But was the Newton a failure? The timing of Newton’s entry into the handheld market was akin to the timing of the Apple II into the desktop market. It was a market-creating, disruptive product targeted at an undefinable set of users whose needs were unknown to either themselves or Apple. On that basis, Newton’s sales should have been a pleasant surprise to Apple’s executives: It outsold the Apple II in its first two years by a factor of more than three to one. But while selling 43,000 units was viewed as an IPO-qualifying triumph in the smaller Apple of 1979, selling 140,000 Newtons was viewed as a failure in the giant Apple of 1994.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Innovator’s Dilemma, Clayton M. Christensen, 1997
The Newton was a disruptive but mistimed product; its sales were impressive for its era but later judged a failure as expectations grew.
In simple terms: Newton sold well early but later seen as a flop.
Key Takeaway
Recognize timing and market expectations matter.
Themes
innovation
market timing
disruption
product failure
expectations
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
historical
business
When to use this quote
- early tech adoption
- company growth
- product launch evaluation
- strategic planning
Key Concepts
disruptive innovation
market creation
product lifecycle
Questions to Reflect On
- How would you assess a product’s success across different corporate eras?
- What metrics should guide judgments of disruptive innovations?
A Different Perspective
Later success can be re‑interpreted as failure when context changes.
