Why is it that a product that most people “know” is a good product cannot be sold? Is it because beauty is in the eyes of the investor and not in the hands of the buyer?
There is one thing that many failed products have in common: they are all… beautiful. Beautiful products in the physical sense: meticulous, polished, and refined to every detail. But then, they still sit on the shelf. Unsold. No one asks. No interaction. And in the end: die young. What is worth mentioning is: many of them come from investors in the wrong industry, or outside the industry, who enter the market with the mindset: “I have money, I have taste, I have relationships, I will definitely sell.” But the market does not operate on intuition or personal preferences. It operates on real demand, real sales channels, and real experiences.
Products Beautiful in my opinion, not necessarily right for the industry
I once witnessed a high-end gift brand invest hundreds of millions in box design. They chose Japanese silk material, ink printing, stylized lotus details, 7-layer gold foil. The packaging was so gorgeous that… no one dared to open it. And in the end, no one dared to buy it because the price was 3 times higher than the acceptable level of the mid-range gift market, while the high-end segment found it “too cumbersome” for a gift that needed to be simplified.
Beauty in the eyes of investors is satisfaction. But beauty in the market is suitability. Suitability with the industry, with the customer base, with the context of use, with the buyer’s psychology. A product that is only beautiful but has no “soul”, meaning it cannot tell a story, cannot touch emotions, cannot open up needs, then no matter how beautiful it is, it is just… a display item.
I sell to everyone is the answer of someone who doesn’t know who to sell to
When asked: “Who is your target customer?”, many businesses immediately answer: “Everyone can use it, it’s a popular product.” Or “Sell it all online, run ads and there will be buyers.” But let’s be honest: that is a mindset of shirking marketing responsibilities. Because if you don’t clearly identify: who are the real users, where do they find this product, for what reason, in what circumstances, you will not be able to position the message, sales channel, price, packaging, or even the name.
A handmade herbal tea product was once launched on the market with very “green” packaging, vintage style, and poetic natural photos. But the target customers are office workers who need a quick, convenient, and beautiful detox to carry around every day. They need a modern, compact design, with filter bags and a strong slogan about its uses. No one buys that “half-country, half-west” product, not because the product is bad, but because it is out of place where it wants to appear.
Products die young not because the market is harsh, but because no one really understands how it will survive
Products that die young often have one characteristic: investors are too confident. They believe that they can “sell through relationships”, “run ads and get orders”, “post a few times and it will go viral”. But they forget that: the consumer market is not a fundraising project. Buyers are willing to spend money only when they see that the product solves a specific problem, in a specific context, with a specific level of commitment.
Then the product is made, printed, delivered to the warehouse, photographed, posted. Silence. Ads run, no orders. Call relationships, customers say: let me review. Send samples, no response. Manufacturers are worried about inventory, near expiration. Investors don’t know if they should do another round. Marketing is confused because… they have never researched the right customers. And in the end, no one knows what to do next.
Death is not noisy but painful: out of money, out of spirit, out of energy
When a product does not sell, a business not only loses money. It also loses enthusiasm. It also loses confidence in the market. Investors are discouraged. Producers are exhausted. Human resources are lost. And the most cruel thing is that no one has the courage to start over because “I used to think I would sell it”.
I once heard an investor say: “I think if it’s that beautiful and reasonably priced, it should at least be able to sell through friends.” But no. People don’t buy because of friends. They buy because of need. And if your product is beautiful and has a good price but is not the right person, on the wrong channel, lacking emotion and experience, then friends won’t buy it a second time. No one will tell you a story that you haven’t actively written.
Conclusion: The product needs to be beautiful, but it must be a beauty with a purpose, with an audience, and a clear journey
Don’t let a beautiful product become a… eulogy for an unfinished dream. Making a product is about working from the market back to the factory, not from inspiration going out. If you are an investor in a different industry, please don’t let your “aesthetic ego” obscure the truth: the market buys based on demand, not on social compliments.
A product may be beautiful in your eyes, but it only truly lives when it is beautiful in the hands of the user. And to achieve that, you must determine: who to sell to, where to sell, why they need it, and how to keep them there.
