Debacle of Google Glass On January 19, 2015, 1 US-based tech giant Google Inc. 2 (Google), took the tech world by surprise when it withdrew its smart glass, Google Glass, from sale in the markets. The company also discontinued the Explorer Program under which users such as gadget enthusiasts and software developers, whom Google called Explorers, purchased the device for US$1,500 and gave the company valuable insights into the usage of the Glass as its beta testers. According to Adrian Hon, CEO and founder of Six to Start 3 , Even if Google didnt admit it, it was clear from the start that Google Glass was not consumer-ready. Google should have managed expectations by presenting it as a developer prototype instead of showing it off at fashion events and selling it for 1,000. 4 A California-based company, Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Brin). It provided internet-related services and products including web-based search, cloud computing, software applications, online advertising technologies, mobile operating systems, consumer content, enterprise solutions, and hardware products. Google forayed into the wearable technology segment by introducing the Google Glass Explorer program in 2012 5 with the objective of building a head-mounted wearable computer that delivered hands-free information to users through voice command. The ambitious device was developed by Google X 6 , the companys secret laboratory, with the objective of delivering hands-free information to users and sharing the world through eyes. As a web-connected headset having a tiny half-inch display in the lenses, its functions included internet search, mapping, taking and sharing photos, recording videos, and language translation through eye movements, voice, and gesture control (See Exhibit I). Though Google Glass was not a finished product and needed further development, Brin wanted to introduce the product to consumers and use their feedback to iterate and improve the design. To reinforce that Glass was a work in progress, Google decided not to sell the first version in retail stores but instead limit it to Glass Explorers, a select group of geeks and journalists who paid US$1,500 for the privilege of being an early adopter. In 2013, Google started selling a prototype of Google Glass to qualified users in the US for US$1,500 before it was released in the market in May 2014, for the same price. As soon as Google Glass was made available, it was lapped up by customers right from geeks to executives, chefs, and fashionistas. Google Glass quickly became popular as it featured on television shows and comedy skits such as Saturday Night Live, and the The Colbert Report. The Simpsons 7 1 Matt Burns, Today is the Last Day to Buy Google Glass, www.techcrunch.com, January 19, 2015. 2 In August, 2015, Google was reorganized under a new name called Alphabet, Inc. comprising the search engine unit and other subsidiaries. 3 Six to Start is a London-based independent games developer and entertainment company. 4 Sophie Curtis, Has Google Glass Failed? www.telegraph.co.uk, January 16, 2015. 5 Vlad Savov, Google Announces Google Glass Explorer Edition, $1,500 Pre-order Shipping Next Year, www.theverge.com, June 27, 2012. 6 The Google X division was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 2010 in order to create new innovative pieces of technology. Google Glass, driverless cars, and global internet balloons were some