⚠️ THIS POST IS GENERATED WITH LLMs: This post is newly generated a few times a week based on trending articles from hacker news. It takes the tone of my writing style, takes the topic from Hacker News - throws in some LLM magic and generates this post. Please be aware I don’t read what gets generated here - it means I may agree, I may not - its a crap shoot - its not meant to be an opinion piece but merely an experiment with the services from OpenRouter - last updated Tuesday 28 October 2025
When Businesses Double Down On Bad Bets
You know that feeling when you’re watching someone stubbornly refuse to pivot despite all evidence screaming “this isn’t working”? I’ve seen it in boardrooms, factory floors, and even my own backyard BBQ experiments (ask me about the Great Brisket Incident of ’23). But lately, I stumbled upon a corporate facepalm moment so perfectly avoidable, it’s become my new cautionary tale for ego-driven leadership.
Here’s the gist: A lock company decided to sue a YouTuber for daring to demonstrate how their premium lock could be popped open with a shim cut from a soda can. Ten million views later, the internet did what the internet does best—turned the drama into a spectacle.
Now, I’m no lawyer, but even my MBA-hobbyist brain knows this: When your product’s weakness gets exposed, litigation isn’t innovation. It’s admitting defeat.
This whole fiasco reminds me of early agile coaching days, where execs would cling to flawed strategies like toddlers to security blankets. They’d throw resources at defending the indefensible instead of iterating, testing, and listening. Sound familiar?
The irony? The company’s own marketing was built on trashing competitors’ locks. Yet when the spotlight flipped onto them, they panicked. Sent legal threats. Filed takedowns. Leaned into defamation by juice box arguments (yes, really—apparently sipping apple juice while picking a lock is legally “childish”).
Here’s what I’d have done differently over a team whisky:
- Lean into the feedback loop. If a creator exposes a flaw, invite them for coffee. Mine their insights. Iterate the damn product.
- Turn critics into collaborators. Imagine the PR win celebrating “We make locks so secure, even experts need creativity to crack them!”
- Never, ever sue your customers. Unless you enjoy becoming a meme.
Watching this unfold felt like seeing a chef blame the diner for noticing undercooked chicken. Growth—whether in tech, lean processes, or chili recipes—demands humility. You need those uncomfortable truths. They’re the whetstone that sharpens your edge.
So here’s to the lockpickers, the devil’s advocates, and the folks shaking juice boxes at complacency. Keep poking holes in the status quo. And to businesses? Next time your ego whispers “sue them,” ask: “Would a pirate ship build a moat… or just steal a better ship?”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to test if Liquid Death cans really make superior shims. 🥤🔓
—J
