Launching a product is hard to do.

"Less than 3% of new consumer packaged goods exceed first-year sales of $50 million — considered the benchmark of a highly successful launch,"say Joan Schneider and Julie Hall, coauthors of "The New Launch Plan."

That's part of the reason that the most heavy-hitting names in business — from Pepsi to Netflix, Microsoft to McDonald's — have had some of the biggest belly flops. 

Here's a look at 22 of them and what we can learn from these epic fails. 

Aimee Groth contributed reporting to this story.

1957 — Ford Edsel

Bill Gates cites the Edsel flop as his favorite case study. Even the name "Edsel" is synonymous with "marketing failure." Ford invested $400 million into the car, which it introduced in 1957. But Americans literally weren't buying it, because they wanted "smaller, more economic vehicles," according to Associated Content:

Other pundits have blamed its failure on Ford Motors execs never really defining the model's niche in the car market. The pricing and market aim of most Edsel models was somewhere between the highest-end Ford and the lowest-end Mercury.

It was taken off the market in 1960.

1975 — Sony Betamax

The 1970s saw a war in home video formats between Betamax and VHS. 

Sony made a mistake: It started selling the Betamax in 1975, while its rivals started releasing VHS machines. Sony kept Betamax proprietary, meaning that the market for VHS products quickly outpaced the company. 

1985 — New Coke

In the early 1980s, Coke was losing ground to Pepsi. So it tried to create a product that would taste more like Pepsi.

While New Coke fared OK in nationwide taste tests before launching in 1985, it turned out those were misleading.

Coke abandoned the product after a few weeks and went back to its old formula. It also gave its product a new name: Coca-Cola Classic.

The stock market is on track to hit Goldman's target by the end of 2015, according to David Kostin.

And so with Goldman seeing stock prices get near their target, the firm has a basket of stocks that return cash through buybacks and dividends.

We've highlighted the stocks in Goldman's "Total Cash Return to Shareholders" basket, which provides investors more than a 14% total yield on a trailing 12-month basis.

"The current constituents of the 50-stock equal-weighted sector-neutral basket have a median combined shareholder yield of 12% compared with 5% for the median S&P 500 company," Kostin wrote.

Total yield is calculated as the sum of gross buybacks and dividends as a share of market cap.

Note: they are not intended to serve as a well-diversified portfolio.

L-3 Communications: 14.2% total yield

Anthem: 14.7% total yield

Seagate Technology: 15.3% total yield

People have a love-hate relationship with subways — but it's mostly love.

Especially for the world's biggest and best-known subways (or undergrounds, or metros). These infographics, from designer Laura Beckman, tell you (almost) everything you need to know, from how old they are to how many miles riders rack up.

Riders jump on subways to the tune of millions of miles every year.

When it comes to cost, Paris is expensive. Kiev, not so much.

Subways have been steadily constructed since the middle of the 19th century.

Sony and the World Photography Organization have announced the shortlist for the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards in the Professional, Open, and Youth categories.

The 2015 competition saw more than 173,000 entries this year, making it the most successful year yet in the awards' eight-year history.

Those in the professional categories are competing for a $25,000 prize and the title of Photographer of the Year.

The winners of this year’s awards will be revealed in April at the Sony World Photography Awards Gala.

OPEN: A shoal of black-tip reef sharks patrol the coast of the Seychelles, an island off the coast of Africa.

A man performs a "bomb" dive into the ocean. Photographer Antony Crossfield made the image to show how one can create "fiction" in digital photography.

These pelicans live at Port Vincent in South Australia. They've become accustomed to waiting for fish offal for food.

The number of patents a company files can show both how innovative and protected it is.

Some people in the tech industry have shied away from building up war chests full of patents. In a bold move last year, Elon Musk announced that Tesla would give away all of its patents for free. 

Tech companies are being pulled in two different directions — they stock up on patents or give them up in the name of "co-opetition."

Using IFI Claims, we took a look at the tech companies that filed the most U.S. patents in 2014. 

No. 21 Toyota: 1,502 patents. Just recently, Toyota gave away 5,600 of its hydrogen fuel cell patents, similar to what Tesla did. Included in the patents given away for free were patents for the 2016 Toyota Mirai, the company's first fuel cell vehicle.

No. 20 Samsung Display: 1,511 patents. And going strong, as people are saying that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy 6 will have a three-sided touch display interface.

No. 19 Foxconn: 1,537 patents. The Taiwanese electronic-maker known for making Apple's iPhones and Sony's PlayStations is making a push into high-end manufacturing — it recently patented a solar-power data center container that would benefit any company that runs large data centers.

Dubai spares no expense when making its cityscape the most jaw-dropping in the world.

In the 2000s, the emirate dropped nearly $600 billion into constructing the world's tallest tower, biggest man-made island, and most luxurious hotel, among other architectural feats.

These aerial photos of Dubai capture the city's elegance and ambition.

Dubai is a city of superlatives. Located in the United Arab Emirates, the ritzy metropolis is home to some of the tallest, biggest, and most luxurious structures in the world.

These dazzling photos of Dubai, taken from the sky, show off the city's architectural feats.

The Burj Al Arab, the fourth-tallest hotel in the world, dominates the Dubai skyline.

Entrepreneurs who land a spot on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” get the chance of a lifetime: to showcase their products to more than 7 million viewers and pitch their businesses to a panel of potential investors.

And if an investor, or Shark, likes their ideas, they try to negotiate offers and seal the deals with golden handshakes.

More than 500 businesses have been pitched on the show over five seasons (“Shark Tank” is currently in its sixth season), but more than 50% of the ideas that are given the green light on the air don’t end up closing the deal when the cameras turn off, according to The Richest.com.

Related: How "Shark Tank’s" Mark Cuban became a big fish

The lucky few who have landed a coveted handshake from Sharks, such as Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran or Lori Greiner, form invaluable business partnerships and gain exposure that hopefully leads to a big boost in sales.

If you’re a fan of the show and have ever wondered what resulted from some of the more successful “Shark Tank” pitches, then read on.

Scrub Daddy

Creator: Aaron Krause

Shark: Lori Greiner

Deal: $200,000 for 20% of the business

Concept: Scrub Daddy is a smiley face-shaped sponge that can outlast many average sponges. It also comes in a lemon scent and multiple colors. Scrub Daddy products can be used to clean household or outdoor items, as well as cars and boats. Its unique design tackles hard-to reach-places, like the bottom of a mug or shower corners, and won’t scratch delicate surfaces.

Where are they now: After Greiner made the deal with Krause for 20%, Scrub Daddy became the biggest “Shark Tank” success to date, reports Business Insider. When Krause landed a spot on “Shark Tank,” his company was struggling, reaching only $100,000 in sales in 18 months.

Since its television debut, Scrub Daddy has raked in more than $18 million. Consumers can buy the product on QVC and in retail stores such as Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. Krause is on a mission to “reinvent the sponge,” and the Scrub Daddy line has expanded to include various sizes.

In an interview with GOBankingRates, Krause shared a few tips on how other entrepreneurs can perfect their pitches. “Proper planning prevents poor performance,” he said. “Before I went on ‘Shark Tank,’ I watched every episode twice and created a flow chart of potential questions based off each Shark’s personality. There wasn’t a single question I wasn’t prepared for.”

Krause gave another important piece of advice for when it’s time to present the pitch: “It’s important to come across as confident, not arrogant though. You want to act like a person someone wants to do business with.”

Related: Discover the 6 unexpected ways spring cleaning will save you money

Hold Your Haunches

Creator: Erin Bickley & Jenny Greer

Shark: Barbara Corcoran & Lori Greiner

Deal: $75,000 (plus a $100,000 credit line) for 40% of the business

Concept: Defining itself as “shapewear redefined,” Hold Your Haunches is a fashion trouser that has an extendable waistband and integrated compression shell that extends from the waist down to the calf. This two-layer shapewear system shapes and smooths the customer’s figure on the inside while remaining hidden by an outer layer of pants.

Where are they now: In the year leading up to its “Shark Tank” appearance, the company only had $165,000 in sales, reports the Daily Mail. Just six months after the episode aired, Hold Your Haunches saw more than $1.5 million in profits.

When asked about the product’s surprising success, Greiner told GOBankingRates, “The Hold Your Haunches product helps women feel better about their bodies in leggings. Who doesn’t want to look and feel better in their clothes? Plus, [Bickley and Greer] are real hustlers at getting the job at task done. That combination wins.”

Chordbuddy

Creator: Travis Perry

Shark: Robert Herjavec

Deal: $175,000 for 20% of the business

Concept: Music teacher Travis Perry created ChordBuddy for his daughter, a novice guitar player. The device attaches to the neck of an acoustic or electric guitar and has colored tabs that help beginners learn the chords. Perry’s daughter learned how to play so quickly that he knew he had a hit product on his hands.

Where are they now: ChordBuddy started with $150,000 in sales during its first month before “Shark Tank.” In late 2014, Business Insider reported the company was on track to bring in $2 million in sales and had even secured John Rich, from the popular country duo Big and Rich, as a company spokesperson.

Apple will hold an event March 9 to go over the final details of the Apple Watch.

There's still a lot we don't know, but while we wait for Apple, here's a look at the most important Apple Watch features the company has shared so far.

The most important thing: The Apple Watch is a watch first and foremost. You can choose from a bunch of different watch faces.

Fitness is a big part of the Apple Watch. It can read your heart rate from those four sensors on the back of the device.

The fitness app will encourage you to meet certain goals in different categories like exercising and standing.

We asked some of the UK's foremost economists in business, finance and academia what they would tell voters ahead of May's general election, if they could only use one chart. 

The general election in May is likely to be one of the most economy-focused ever.

Seven years after the global financial crisis, the UK is now recovering: But the return to growth was slow and some parts of the country are still severely depressed.

The graphs our participants picked cover all sorts of issues, from unemployment and wages to stocks, housing and the government's fiscal deficit.

Austerity has stalled.

Real wages are still way down.

'Plan A' died a long time ago.

Once upon a time, there was a hospital in the middle of the Italian countryside. 

But after the hospital was shut down in 2007, it gradually became a wreck. 

Paolo Del Rocino, an amateur photographer who has an interest in abandoned places, visited the hospital in 2014. The pictures he took are haunting. 

Paolo has shared his pictures here, and you can check out more of his work on his Flickr page. 

The hospital was built in the 1930s for patients with tuberculosis and other lung diseases. When Paolo visited the hospital, he found this wheelchair in the middle of one room.

The hospital is located in Abruzzo, a rural region about 100 kilometers east of Rome, Italy. Paolo is from Rome and often travels across the country to visit abandoned places.

At the centre of the hospital is a high, circular staircase. Paolo told us that he rarely reveals where he shoots his pictures, because he is afraid that other photographers will visit the locations too and possibly risk injuring themselves.

Back in 1904, a 25-year-old Albert Einstein would spend his afternoons pushing a stroller. 

You could find him "wheeling a baby carriage on the streets of Bern, Switzerland, halting now and then, unmindful of the traffic around him, to scribble down some mathematical symbols in a notebook that shared the carriage with his infant son, also named Albert,"The New York Times wrote in its obituary of the great scientist.

"Out of those symbols came the most explosive ideas in the age-old strivings of man to fathom the mystery of his universe," The Times added.

In his lifetime, Einstein would change the world, describing the workings of reality better than anyone since Isaac Newton and revealing the capabilities of the atom bomb. 

In time, Einstein's name has become a byword for genius.

Here's the genius, in his own words.

On authority

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."

["The Curious History of Relativity"]

On scope

"Nature shows us only the tail of the lion. But there is no doubt in my mind that the lion belongs with it even if he cannot reveal himself to the eye all at once because of his huge dimension."

[Smithsonian, February 1979]

On politics

"I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever."

["The Yale Book of Quotations"]

We all have our idiosyncrasies and bizarre routines that keep us sane. Certain objects and rituals add comfort to our lives — they make us feel at home.

A comfortable work space is an incredibly important factor when it comes to being productive.

Check out how these successful people have made their offices their own with a variety of unusual, yet meaningful, items. 

SNL producer Lorne Michaels has a present from Reese Witherspoon in his office.

Vanity Fair reported that the creator and producer of Saturday Night Live keeps a dog-head inkwell that actress Reese Witherspoon gifted him.

The comedian also has a bobblehead of his favorite New York Yankee player, Paul O'Neill.  

LeBron James likes to keep Bruce Wayne close by.

The NBA legend keeps a replica batman mask in his pristine LRMR Marketing firm office in Akron, Ohio, according to ESPN.

Creator of 'Mad Men,' Matthew Weiner, keeps a Tibetan prayer horn on his desk.

The creator and executive producer of the drama television show Mad Men, keeps a bust of Ludwig van Beethoven and a Tibetan prayer horn on his desk, according to the Vanity Fair series, "My Desk."

The show's protagonist, alpha male Don Draper, also keeps Weiner company, in the form of a bobblehead, which can be found in Weiner's office.

You've been invited to a 1-year-old's birthday party, but you have no idea what to get.

We're here to help.

From stacking blocks to play kitchens, here are 12 awesome gifts every 1-year-old will enjoy. 

Building blocks will help them become future engineers.

At this age, children are just learning to stack blocks — and they may have more fun knocking over towers than actually building them.

Mega bloks are like giant legos — perfect for little hands that lack a lot of coordination.

Price:$25

A push toy will help them prepare to walk.

Most children begin to walk around age 1. Help him gain the confidence to walk by himself with a sturdy push toy.

The VTech sit to stand walker can be used as an activity center that sits on the floor (for non-mobile) babies, and can also be adapted to a push toy.

Note that some pediatricians say that walkers are dangerous since they gave toddlers a lot more mobility — just make sure that the parent is ok with this toy.

Price:$35

Shape sorters will teach them to problem solve.

A shape sorter will teach children patience and problem-solving skills: children will learn to figure out which shapes fit in the appropriate holes. They'll also learn colors and shapes.

Price:$15

The Hospital Club, located on Endell Street in London's Covent Garden neighborhood, has quite the interesting history.

Previously a 19th-century women's hospital, the seven-story building now functions as a members-only club, hotel, TV studio, art gallery, and event space. The club also just added 15 bedrooms so visiting members have a place to lay their heads at night.

Microsoft's billionaire cofounder Paul Allen bought the club in 1996, shortly after he and musician Dave Stewart discovered the building while having a drink nearby. They renovated it and opened the Hospital Club in 2004.

An annual membership costs 8oo pounds, or roughly $1,200, though those based outside the U.K. and under 30 years old can take advantage of a slight discount. 

The Hospital Club is located in a seven-story building that was completed in 1849. Its name was inspired by the building's previous roles, first as a women's hospital and later as a secret, government-funded treatment center.

Inside, the decor is funky and eclectic.

Detailed woven rugs and bold walls give off an artistic vibe.

A mansion built to be a Zen-like paradise, aptly named "Nirvana," just listed in Palm Beach county, Florida for $25 million.

Located in Manalapan, Florida, the house was built to be an "oceanfront haven."

Zen and Buddhist influences permeate throughout the home —there's even a Buddhist prayer room.

But for $25 million, you should also expect some serious luxury. And with a spa room, a cinema, and a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean, that angle is appropriately covered.

“The Nirvana estate is the perfect combination of modern and spiritual, young and old, east and west,” says Senada Adzem, director of luxury sales at Douglas Elliman real estate, which has the listing.

Welcome to Nirvana, an estate built to maximize relaxation.

Every inch of its 12,244 square feet was built to be an "oceanfront haven."

The estate was build as a sort of East-meets-West theme, with zen and Buddhist influences.

In many fields, graduate degrees offer distinct benefits for your extra years in school.

Employees armed with a graduate education are often a more attractive hire and can make a higher salary than colleagues who just have a bachelor's degree.

However, for some industries the benefits of going to graduate school are comparatively low and don't justify the extra investment.

Using the recent "Hard Times" report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, we examined salary and unemployment data of experienced college graduates and experienced graduate degree holders. These are workers whose ages range from 35 to 54 years old.

For roughly 50 fields, we calculated how much more money a graduate degree will bring and the difference in unemployment rates for those with a post-college degree. These figures were then combined to determine which graduate degrees are the most "useless"— basically, which give you the smallest boost in salary and employment.

10. Criminal Justice and Fire Protection

An experienced graduate degree holder earns 19% more than a college graduate, and the unemployment rate is 18% lower.

Experienced college grads earn an average of $63,000 a year, while experienced graduate degree holders earn $75,000 a year, on average.

4% of experienced college grads are unemployed. 3.3% of experienced graduate degree holders are unemployed.

9. Computer Science

An experienced graduate degree holder earns 15% more than a college graduate, and the unemployment rate is 20% lower.

Experienced college grads earn an average of $93,000 a year, while experienced graduate degree holders earn $107,000 a year, on average.

4% of experienced college grads are unemployed. 3.2% of experienced graduate degree holders are unemployed.

8. Communications and Mass Media

An experienced graduate degree holder earns 19% more than a college graduate, and the unemployment rate is 16% lower.

Experienced college grads earn an average of $63,000 a year, while experienced graduate degree holders earn $75,000 a year, on average.

5.7% of experienced college grads are unemployed. 4.8% of experienced graduate degree holders are unemployed.

When imperious Rolls-Royce introduced an "entry level" model five years ago, the automotive aristocracy simply didn't know what to expect. Some feared that BMW, Rolls-Royce's parent company, had gone off its rocker.

But fortunately for fans and customers of the brand, that car turned out to be the well-received Ghost, a car that became a sales leader for the company. Last year, Rolls-Royce decided to make the Ghost even better by releasing an updated version, dubbed the Series II.

I recently spent a weekend with a claret-red example. Would it be as good as its reputation suggests?

Even by Rolls-Royce standards, the Ghost has a lot to live up to. Its namesake is the most famous car in company history: the Silver Ghost. Here it's transporting Prince Charles and ...

.... here with Col. T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) at the helm. Could the Ghost II deliver the experience its lineage promised?

I settled into the soft-leather-lined cabin of the Ghost and immediately knew I was driving something special — even as a snowstorm took aim at the Northeast.

Hong Kong has a problem. With its population growing steadily, it doesn't have enough space to house the 7.2 million people in its 31 square miles.

But where the government sees a major issue, realtors see dollars. Because of demand, they can charge high rents for tiny spaces, charging up to HK$90, or $11.60 USD, per square foot.

And the spaces are getting smaller. People are living in apartments stacked with wooden boxes, known as "coffin houses," and sleeping in cages about the size of rabbit hutches.

The photos of these spaces are extreme and expose the harsh realities of a city with the highest levels of inequality in the developed world.

(Captions by Reuters and Christian Storm)

Because of China's massive population, there is a shortage of housing. Because of demand, realtors can charge astronomical prices for minuscule spaces, like the 80-square-foot apartment of Michelle Wong, a single mother, which she rents for $387.

Li Rong, 37, sits on a bed in her 35-square-foot subdivided apartment, with just enough room for a bunk bed and small TV, on the fifth floor of an old industrial building in Hong Kong. Li and people like her live in some of the priciest real estate per square foot in the world.

Most of these apartments are subdivided, meaning one unit intended for single occupants has been instead divided into multiple living spaces and rented individually.

The Apple Watch is arriving in April, but have you seen all the different models?

The Apple Watch was created to be both a tech and fashion product, with Apple designer Jony Ive explaining that his team "worked extremely hard to make an object that, one, would be extremely desirable, but would also be personal because we don’t all want to wear the same watch."

As a result, there are three tiers: the Apple Watch (316L), Apple Watch Sport (7000 Series), and the luxury Apple Watch Edition. Beyond those three tiers, Apple also offers various sizes, colors, and bands.

To make it easier to find your favorite, we've collected all 22 versions of the Apple Watch in one place.

White: 316L stainless steel Apple Watch (38mm or 42mm case) with white fluoroelastomer sports band, stainless steel pin, sapphire crystal Retina display, and ceramic back.

Black: 316L stainless steel Apple Watch (38mm or 42mm case) with black fluoroelastomer sports band, stainless steel pin, sapphire crystal Retina display, and ceramic back.

Black leather: 316L stainless steel Apple Watch (38mm or 42mm case) with black leather Classic Buckle band, stainless steel buckle, sapphire crystal Retina display, and ceramic back.

We take our phones everywhere, which is why it's important to get a comfortable, sturdy case.

The good news is that there are plenty to choose from — but that can also be a disadvantage. With so many choices, it can be hard to find the right case that fits your personal style and needs.

We've rounded up some of our favorite Android phone cases on the market, and whether you have a Galaxy S5, Note 4, or HTC One, we're sure you'll find something that suits you on this list. 

Spigen's Slim Armor case is super protective and comes in several colors.

Spigen says its Slim Armor case is double layered to add extra protection and shock absorption. It comes in Smooth Black, Shimmery White, Metal Slate, Gunmetal, Champagne Gold, Mint, and Electric Blue.

Available for: LG G3 (pictured), Galaxy S5, Nexus 6, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 3, HTC One M8, Nexus 5

Price:$18-$34

Incipio's NGP case is durable and doesn't add much bulk to your phone.

The Incipio NGP is perfect if you're looking for something colorful and attractive that offers a lot of protection. Incipio says it's stretch and tear-resistant too, so you won't have to worry about damaging it if you frequently take the case off your phone. 

Available for: Samsung Galaxy S5 (pictured), Nexus 5, HTC One M8, Moto X (2nd gen), Moto X (1st gen)

Price:$19.99

The Speck CandyShell Grip looks nice and comes with a ribbed back that keeps your phone from slipping.

As its name implies, Speck's CandyShell Grip is designed to prevent you from dropping your phone. The ribbed back makes it easy to hold, and it's available in several color combinations including black and white, purple and pink, teal and blue, and more. 

Available for: Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, HTC One M8 (pictured), Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

Price:$34.95