Look Before You LeapIn <i>What Were They Thinking? Lessons I've Learned From Over 80,000 New Product Innovations and Idiocies</i>, product development consultant Robert McMath reveals why some products succeed while others fail miserably.

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life" isan excellent adage for addictive personalities or people who havebeen through an upsetting experience. It's a horrible way forbusinesses to operate, though, and that's what many companiesare doing.

To produce tomorrow's successful products, you must be awareof what has already succeeded and failed. Sure, times change.Tastes come and go. Fashion is fleeting. Just because an ideafailed yesterday doesn't mean it will flop tomorrow. But unlessyou understandwhythe concept failed, odds are you'llmake the same mistakes again.