In this episode, I share a real story from my time involved in a management buy-in at Indigo — a time when cash was tight, pressure was high, and every decision mattered.
We were heavily reliant on low-value household accounts, and we knew we needed to break into the corporate market if the business was going to survive and grow. That’s when we made a bold move — launching a new product called Net Nanny, designed to protect children from inappropriate content online.
The stakes were high. We were down to our last bit of cash, worried about paying for the launch, and under pressure from investors. But we pushed ahead anyway.
What happened next was unexpected.
The product launch generated massive PR, media attention, and brand awareness. We were everywhere — radio, newspapers, and headlines. It gave the business visibility we had never had before and opened doors into the corporate space.
But here’s the twist — the product itself didn’t perform as expected. Sales were modest, and by traditional measures, it could have been seen as a failure.
Yet the impact it created told a very different story.
The exposure from that launch helped us raise funding, build credibility, and ultimately position the business for a successful sale.
The lesson?
Not every success looks like sales. Sometimes the real value is in the attention, positioning, and opportunities that come from taking a bold step.
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