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Segway’s Journey: From Revolutionary Invention to Historic Failure

The Segway today is not necessarily one of the most respected pieces of technology. In fact, you probably do not even think about it at all. Maybe you’ve used one to take a guided tour of a city or seen a police officer or security guard rolling around on one. but that’s about the extent of it. right? It has become more of a novelty. That’s why you might be surprised to learn that the Segway was easily one of the most anticipated product launches of all time in the early 2000s. Everybody was talking about Segway side by side journey. like it was going to change the world of transportation as we know it.

segway side by side

If you’re not familiar, I would describe him as an eccentric genius millionaire type. He’s known for wearing denim, traveling by helicopter, and owning an island. While he was still in college in the 1970s. he invented a small infusion pump that allowed drugs to be administered to patients in steady, reliable doses. He built a company around that invention called Auto Syringe. He sold it in his early 30s for millions of dollars. then he used that money to start a research and development company. It would go on to invent more impactful medical devices. It includes a portable dialysis machine and a flexible heart stent.

The Inspiration Behind the iBOT

In 1990, Kamen saw someone in a wheelchair struggling to get up over the curb on the side of the road. This gave him the idea to create an advanced robotic wheelchair. It was called iBOT. It had six wheels, a motor, could go up curbs and stairs, and even stand up. so a person in the wheelchair could match the height of someone else. While designing this, the team realized they could use some of the gyroscope balancing and other technologies. They developed for the chair to create a new vehicle that would ultimately become the Segway.

Kamen saw a lot of potential in the Segway. Investing so much of his time and money into it. He even made public statements saying, “I believe the Segway HT (Human Transporter) will do for walking what the calculator did for the pad and pencil” or that it “will be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy.” He essentially thought that, they were going to sell millions of them and that it would be the new standard for getting around cities all across the world.

It’s sad to think that the Segway has fallen so short of his expectations. It has now existed for over two decades, and most people have never been on one. As of 2020, they are not even being produced anymore. I would call this one of the biggest product failures of all time. So, let’s explore exactly why it failed so badly. Here are the five biggest reasons, starting with those initial expectations.

1. Unrealistic Expectations

As I already mentioned, Dean Kamen was a respected, proven inventor who spoke highly of the Segway. But he wasn’t the only one. Respected businessmen in the technology field, including Jeff Bezos, called it “one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time.” Steve Jobs predicted it would become as big as the PC. John Doerr, a famous technology investor known for seeing early potential in Amazon, Google, and many others, was not only an early investor in Segway but predicted it would achieve one billion dollars in sales faster than any other product in history.

There was even an episode of South Park in 2001 partially inspired by the hype surrounding the announcement of the Segway. The public was hearing all these statements even before they knew exactly what it was, leading to wild speculations. So, when it was finally announced on Good Morning America in December 2001, there was no way it could live up to expectations. Sure, it was a cool invention made possible by years of developing advanced technology, but it didn’t seem impressive because it couldn’t meet those unrealistic expectations.

2. Poor Marketing Decisions

decision making segway

Dean Kamen’s strength was inventing, not marketing. For well over a decade before the Segway, his company had been developing medical devices and relying on other companies to produce and sell them. For the Segway, he created a separate company to handle manufacturing and sales. This further showed how much he believed in the product, but he didn’t hire an outside sales team, which was a questionable decision.

Steve Jobs, who knew a lot about marketing technology products. It was one of the few people invited to see the Segway before it was revealed. He advised them to launch it with one model. Keeping things simple, but Segway launched with two models. Jobs also suggested having a giant launch, but Segway opted for a slow, methodical approach. Following the reveal on Good Morning America, it was initially available only to large companies. The average public consumer couldn’t buy a Segway until almost a year later, by which time the hype had cooled off.

3. Impracticality

In most situations, the Segway was simply impractical. It wasn’t legal to ride it on sidewalks in many places, which was a huge hurdle. Segway spent a lot of money lobbying to get these laws changed but met resistance from certain groups citing safety concerns. The machine itself was heavy, could only travel about 12 miles before needing a charge, and required both hands to ride, making it hard to do anything else simultaneously. Unlike a bicycle, which doesn’t cost $5,000, the Segway was pricey. Their former VP of marketing and former CEO admitted that the Segway was overpriced and struggled to turn a profit even at that price due to the high cost of manufacturing.

4. Accidents and Safety Concerns

accidental for segway

Riding a Segway took some practice, and many high-profile accidents quickly gave it a negative reputation. In 2003, seven months after its release to the public, President George W. Bush famously fell off a Segway. In 2010, Ellen DeGeneres fell off one on her talk show. In 2015, a cameraman on a Segway ran into Usain Bolt during a victory lap. There were two recalls due to malfunctions causing people to fall off, but the most disastrous accident happened in 2010. By 2009, Kamen was looking to sell the company, and it was bought by British millionaire Jimi Heselden. Sadly, Heselden died in 2010 after losing control of his Segway and riding it off a cliff.

5. Becoming a Cultural Joke

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a Segway? For many, it’s probably not the best image. My mind instantly goes to “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” not the image Dean Kamen hoped for when developing the technology. On “Arrested Development,” GOB rode a Segway, feeding into the privileged, lazy stereotype. Weird Al featured one in his video for “White & Nerdy.” These negative depictions in popular media demonstrated how Segways quickly transitioned from groundbreaking transportation to the butt of a joke.

In 2013, Segway was sold, then again in 2015 to a competing Chinese company called Ninebot. They seemed to want it for the patents to enter the U.S. markets. In 2020, they announced they would end production of the iconic Segway device in favor of making other products that are more cost-efficient and less outdated.

So, that’s the end of the Segway story. Let me know in the comments: What do you think of the Segway? Was it an amazing invention that was mishandled, or was it doomed from the beginning? Share your thoughts about the Segway device or the company.

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