The rise and fall of Fitbit

Video Description

Learn more about hiring with Near: https://links.girdley.com/near5 Special thanks to Near for sponsoring this video. If your business is looking to hire top-tier global talent without the Silicon Valley price tag, Near makes it incredibly easy. They connect U.S. companies with highly skilled professionals across Latin America — same time zones, strong culture fit, and serious cost savings. I’ve hired through them myself, and the quality has been outstanding. Fitbit went from a scrappy startup to a $10 billion company that defined fitness tracking. At its peak, Fitbit controlled over 80% of the market and became a cultural icon — synonymous with health, steps, and wearable tech. But just a few years later, that dominance completely unraveled. Come to my conference for business owners, Feb 9-11 → https://links.girdley.com/hcc-yt 👇 SUBSCRIBE for more business breakdowns https://www.youtube.com/@Michael-Girdley?sub_confirmation=1 Get my free guide → Why Great Businesses Fail: 10 Multi-Million Dollar Mistakes To Avoid: https://links.girdley.com/10fails-yt ------------------------------------------------------------------ ► For sponsorships or inquiries please reach out to: [email protected] ► Get my weekly letter to business owners: essential insights to run, grow, and stay ahead in your business → https://links.girdley.com/newsletter-yt ► Free events on all things small business: https://links.girdley.com/lectures-yt ► Deep dives on businesses for sale: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquisitionsAnonymousPodcast ► Follow me on Twitter/X: https://x.com/girdley ------------------------------------------------------------------ In this video, we break down the rise and fall of Fitbit, the strategic decisions that made it huge, and the critical mistakes that led to its collapse. From betting everything on hardware, ignoring subscriptions, and getting squeezed by Apple Watch on the high end and cheap competitors on the low end — Fitbit became a case study in how fast tech giants can fall. This isn’t just a Fitbit story. It’s a lesson about business models, ecosystems, recurring revenue, and why being early isn’t enough to survive. Subscribe for more breakdowns on companies, investing lessons, and business stories that actually matter.