The rise and fall of Roomba

Go to https://meetfabric.com/GIRDLEY and apply today, risk-free - Thanks to Fabric for Sponsoring this video! In 2021, Roomba wasn’t just a robot vacuum — it was the robot vacuum. The company behind it, iRobot, was worth over $4 billion and dominated more than half of the global robot vacuum market. Just four years later, the company filed for bankruptcy. So what went wrong? Looking to become a channel member to support our production and receive exclusive content? Sign up here:    / @michael-girdley   Get the 2-minute cheat sheet for this video → https://girdley.com/youtube 👇 SUBSCRIBE for more business breakdowns    / @michael-girdley   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:    / @acquisitionsanonymouspodcast   ► Follow me on Twitter/X: https://x.com/girdley ------------------------------------------------------------------ This video breaks down the rise and fall of Roomba, from its MIT origins and early dominance to the brutal realities of global competition, missed innovation cycles, and regulatory roadblocks. You’ll see how Chinese competitors outpaced Roomba on price and technology, how the Amazon acquisition collapsed, and how crushing debt finished the job. This isn’t just a story about a vacuum cleaner — it’s a case study in capitalism, innovation, and how fast market leaders can fall if they stop adapting. If you care about investing, tech history, or business strategy, this is a story you don’t want to miss. Subscribe for more deep dives into companies, markets, and investing every week.