Details, Screw-Ups & Butterfly Effects

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Disney’s first three theme parks (California, Florida, Tokyo) were a runaway success. The fourth park in Paris lost a billion dollars in the first two years. Why?

The plan projected 11 MN guests staying for an average of 3 days (average for other parks).

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Population density, income levels even weather patterns went into forecasting these numbers.

When the park opened the guests stayed on average for only 1 day instead of 3.

Projections missed to factor in the fact that Paris park had only 15 rides while other parks had 45.

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Mars climate orbiter was launched in 1998 but NASA lost the probe during orbital insertion.

It turns out Lockheed Martin (manufacturer) used English units while NASA was using the metric system.

These are rocket scientists. Literally.

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Ottomans Turks for about 2 months were not able to breach the heavily fortified walls of Constantinople in 1453 with 10X the force and massive cannons.

Then somebody noticed that one of the gates in the walls have accidentally been left open. The city fell.

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