# Every Product I Couldn't Release Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynrTSQ0SJJ4 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/ynrTSQ0SJJ4 Generated: 2025-12-26T21:03:59.182+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The video reveals several failed product concepts that took significant time and money to develop, including a multi-colored precision screwdriver set that took three years, an RGB welcome mat that cost $250 in batteries, a modular hydration staff, a fully customizable gaming mouse, and a high-end, overly complex tech travel hoodie, none of which reached mass production due to various issues like component shortages, design constraints, or poor market fit. **Key Points:** - The precision screwdriver project took over three years to make, but was ultimately shelved due to the 2020-2023 global chip shortage delaying lead times to 52 weeks. - The RGB Welcome Mat prototype was too thick (requiring giant batteries) and cost $250 just for the necessary Mouse ICs, making it unviable. - The Modular Hydration Staff, intended to be smart and connectable with RGB lighting and dual-threaded middle pieces, was deemed too complicated and costly to produce effectively. - The fully customizable gaming mouse failed because finding an addressable power management IC compatible with all desired mouse shells proved impossible. - The high-end, cel-shaded Luxe Hoodie design had material issues; the outer layer, intended to be super soft cashmere blend, started peeling after minimal testing, and the pockets were impractical when sitting. - The fashion team's attempt at a sandal resulted in failures due to low-quality Velcro straps and material degradation, despite attempting to incorporate features like removable insoles and high-top ankle support. - The team also abandoned a modular acoustic panel system because the complex geometry and shipping costs made it prohibitively expensive and difficult to manufacture consistently. ![Screenshot at 00:01: The host, Linus Sebastian, introduces the topic by stating that making stuff is hard, holding up the translucent handle of one of the failed precision screwdrivers, which illustrates the complexity of their shelved projects.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ynrTSQ0SJJ4/00-00-01.jpg) **Context:** Linus Sebastian and the LTT engineering team discuss several ambitious product concepts that they developed over the years but ultimately decided not to release to the public. The discussion features Linus, Tynan Stack (Senior Mechanical Engineer), Thomas Sroga (Electrical Designer), Kyle Tharratt (Engineering Manager), and guests Tatjana Devic (Product Developer - Raw Materials), Bridget Bergman (Design Manager), Matthew Luu (Fashion Designer), and Olamide Abitogun (Technical Designer). The segment focuses on the practical challenges—like supply chain delays, material flaws, and cost overruns—that led to these projects being scrapped, often humorously referred to as 'failed children' or 'failures'. ## Detailed Analysis The video is a retrospective on several failed product concepts developed by the Linus Tech Tips (LTT) team. Linus starts by showing the original precision screwdriver that took three years to develop, explaining that the 52-week lead time on necessary ICs due to the global chip shortage made the timeline unsustainable. Next, he shows the RGB Welcome Mat, an ambitious project that was too thick due to battery requirements and cost $250 just for the necessary microcontrollers, leading to its failure. The Modular Hydration Staff, designed with dual-threaded middle pieces and RGB lighting, was also scrapped because the complexity and cost made it impractical. A fully customizable gaming mouse failed because the team could not find a suitable power management IC that worked across all desired ergonomic shells. The fashion department also faced hurdles: their attempt at a high-end Luxe Hoodie, featuring cel-shading effects and specialized pockets, suffered from poor material choices (a synthetic wool blend that peeled) and impractical pocket placement. Furthermore, their custom sandals failed due to issues with low-quality Velcro straps and durability problems, as illustrated by images of failed prototypes. Finally, their modular acoustic panel system, designed to be customized into various shapes like triangles, diamonds, and hexagons, proved too expensive to manufacture and ship affordably. The team concludes that while they learned a lot, some ideas are simply too difficult or costly to bring to market, contrasting these failures with successful items like their LTT Store merchandise. ### Precision Screwdriver - Took 3 years to make - Delayed by 52-week IC lead times due to chip shortage - Ultimately shelved. ### RGB Welcome Mat - Failed due to excessive thickness (needed giant batteries) and a high cost of $250 for just the microcontrollers. ### Modular Hydration Staff - Scrapped because the complex design (dual-threaded middle pieces, RGB integration) made it too costly and difficult to mass-produce. ### Customizable Gaming Mouse - Failed because the team could not source a power management IC compatible with all the desired ergonomic shell designs. ### Luxe Hoodie - Failed because the premium cashmere-blend material began peeling after minimal use, and pocket placement was impractical when sitting. ### Sandals - Failed due to low-quality Velcro straps breaking, material degradation, and high upfront tooling costs for multiple sizes/designs. ### Modular Acoustic Panels - Abandoned because shipping large, lightweight foam panels was too expensive, and the design complexity led to high manufacturing costs. ![Screenshot at 00:02: Linus demonstrating the failed precision screwdriver concept by holding up the colorful translucent handle.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ynrTSQ0SJJ4/00-00-02.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:08: A blurred shot of the RGB Welcome Mat prototype showing the underlying blue structure and exposed wiring.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ynrTSQ0SJJ4/00-00-08.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:15: The packaging for the Carpio C2.0 wrist support, one of the few products that did successfully launch.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ynrTSQ0SJJ4/00-01-15.jpg) ![Screenshot at 04:59: Kyle Tharratt explaining the issues with the mouse ICs during the 2020-2023 chip shortage.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ynrTSQ0SJJ4/00-04-59.jpg) ![Screenshot at 11:11: A comparison slide showing the difference between the Cel Shade hoodie rendering \(with lines\) and a standard rendering \(without lines\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ynrTSQ0SJJ4/00-11-11.jpg)