Unlike a Chapter 11 bankruptcy where companies restructure, Sonder filed for Chapter 7, signifying complete liquidation. This meant an immediate shutdown and asset sale, causing thousands of guests to be abruptly evicted. The event serves as a stark real-world example of the severe and immediate consequences of this terminal form of corporate failure.
Offering a unique color like orange for the latest iPhone Pro is a deliberate marketing strategy. With 40% of new sales being the signature color, it creates a conspicuous and easily identifiable signal that a user owns the newest, most expensive device. This visible status symbol encourages social proof and drives upgrade cycles.
To reverse its decline, luxury brand Burberry leaned into its British heritage by focusing on the country's most notorious feature: the rain. By making its iconic trench coat the hero product, it transformed a national inconvenience into a unique and profitable differentiator, setting it apart from French and Italian fashion houses.
Sonder's bankruptcy wasn't due to its core idea of a standardized home rental, which was sound. The failure stemmed from raising too much venture capital ($680M), which created immense pressure for hyper-growth. This forced the company to sign unprofitable leases, proving a good business can be destroyed by the wrong funding model and unrealistic expectations.
Goldman Sachs is divesting consumer-facing businesses like Marcus and its credit card to refocus on high-margin corporate advisory. Its stock is at an all-time high, validating a strategy where earning a small percentage (e.g., 0.2%) on multi-billion dollar transactions is far more profitable than serving millions of smaller retail customers.
The U.S. penny was discontinued because it cost four cents to produce one. However, its significance extended far beyond its monetary value, becoming deeply embedded in cultural idioms ('a penny for your thoughts'), products ('penny loafers'), and daily life. This illustrates how an object's societal resonance can be disconnected from its economic utility, making its removal complex.