The Ford Edsel: A $2.5 Billion Blunder
Mar 05, 2026•12 min
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Episode description
In this episode, we explore the epic failure of the Ford Edsel, a car designed by committee and data that utterly missed the mark. We examine how relying too heavily on surveys and metrics, instead of understanding true customer behavior, led to one of history's most expensive product flops.
Chapters
00:00 The Untapped Market
01:49 The Whiz Kids and McNamara
03:40 The Edsel's Disastrous Debut
04:42 Production Nightmares and Missing the Market
07:08 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned
11:25 The Principle of Disaggregating the Question
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