The Big Con Podcast - Lego Pt 1: The end of the brick

Lego Pt 1: The end of the brick

02/28/23 • 34 min

4 Listeners

It's hard to imagine a world without Lego - the colourful, interlocking bricks that have captured the hearts and imaginations of children and adults alike for generations. But did you know this beloved toy almost didn't exist as we know it today?
In the latest episode of the Big Con Podcast, we explore the drama-ridden story of how Lego went from a family-owned Billund toy company to a global powerhouse - and almost lost it all in the process. A tale filled with restructures, lay-offs, and blue-sky thinking, this cautionary tale is a must-listen for anyone interested in innovation, growth, and the importance of measuring and managing success.
Facing numerous challenges and setbacks over the years, including the threat of being sold off and becoming a completely different company, Lego almost lost sight of its core values and the things that make Lego, Lego!
So if you've ever wondered about the history of the brick and how a company with humble beginnings became a $6.1 billion entity, this is the episode for you. Join us as we dive deep into the fascinating world of Lego, and discover the secrets to their enduring success.
📕Show Menu - https://bit.ly/bcpshowmenu
The Big Con Podcast: Emily and Dale dive into the wild world of business blunders and figure out where things went wrong (or right, but mostly wrong) and use the benefit of hindsight and a healthy dose of schadenfreude to look at where there was an impact on either their profit, their brand, or something much more dire. The Big Con examines the stories of businesses that refused to invest in strategy and where we can learn from their mistakes.

Previous Episode

Ebay and Skype: Finding your perfect match in 4 easy steps!

Remember when Ebay owned Skype? We do!
In this riveting podcast episode, we delve into the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and uncover a shocking truth: many deals end up worse for the outcome. Emily and Dale will provide a compelling case study of eBay's acquisition of Skype, a $2.6 billion deal that, on the surface, was a big old failure, but the truth is much more interesting. Like Romeo and Juliet, eBay and Skype came from different worlds. eBay was a platform connecting independent buyers and sellers primarily through auctions. Skype was a Voice Over Internet Protocol Service launched in 2003 that gained market share rapidly and generated revenue through subscriptions and credit services. Although they were star-crossed lovers initially, eBay's acquisition of Skype proved to be their undoing, with the companies wanting different things and growing in different directions. Tune in to this episode to learn how to avoid the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet and find successful matches in the world of M&As.
📕Show Menu - https://bit.ly/bcpshowmenu
The Big Con Podcast: Emily and Dale dive into the wild world of business blunders and figure out where things went wrong (or right, but mostly wrong) and use the benefit of hindsight and a healthy dose of schadenfreude to look at where there was an impact on either their profit, their brand, or something much more dire. The Big Con examines the stories of businesses that refused to invest in strategy and where we can learn from their mistakes.

Next Episode

Lego Pt 2: Why creating a universe is so hard!

Lego, the toy company that had recently bounced back from near bankruptcy, had set its sights on innovation. Their target: massively multiplayer online (MMO) video games. Despite their previous failures in the video game industry, Lego was determined to make a digital version of their iconic bricks a reality. They wanted to capture the audience who preferred virtual building, and they knew they had to act fast before someone else did. After reaching out to 51 different video game design companies, they settled on NetDevil to help bring Lego Universe to life. But as preproduction began, things got off to a rocky start...
Sources used in this episode

Robertson, D.C. and Breen, B. (2014) Brick by brick: How lego rewrote the rules of innovation and conquered the Global Toy Industry. New York: Crown Business.
Lego Universe Death of a Video game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvBa6Dcws-4
PC, Gaming WIKI (LEGO Universe) https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Lego_Universe

📕Show Menu - https://bit.ly/bcpshowmenu
The Big Con Podcast: Emily and Dale dive into the wild world of business blunders and figure out where things went wrong (or right, but mostly wrong) and use the benefit of hindsight and a healthy dose of schadenfreude to look at where there was an impact on either their profit, their brand, or something much more dire. The Big Con examines the stories of businesses that refused to invest in strategy and where we can learn from their mistakes.