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Failed Case

We built an AI chatbot nobody needed

Published August 8, 2026 by Noah Williams

Illustrative story. This fictional example was created to demonstrate the YourHero experience.

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Industry
E-commerce
Role
Product Manager
Company
Cartly

Intro

When generative AI became the biggest topic inside the company, we decided our e-commerce product needed an AI shopping assistant.

Problem

We started with the technology rather than with a customer problem. The team spent weeks designing conversational discovery while most users simply wanted better filters, clearer product information, and faster search.

What I Tried

We launched the assistant to a small audience. Usage was low, conversations were short, and customers frequently returned to traditional search immediately afterwards.

Lesson

Never start with “Where can we add AI?” Start with “Where are users losing time or getting stuck?”