Where Remarkable CEOs Challenge Your Thinking about Life and Work
484. Why do 80% of Tech Startups Fail? It is Not because the Technology Doesn’t Work! Global Tech Marketing Leader Lifang He shares insider branding realities
In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Tom Loarie talks with Lifang He, a global tech brand strategist and marketing leader who is known for her more than 20 years experience launching record-breaking, popular tech innovations that include Apple’s iPhone and more. Data shows that up to eighty percent (80%) of technology ventures fail—not because their technology doesn’t work, but because they fail to drive consumer adoption. Why? We dive deep into the engine room of the modern tech economy to explore how great ideas actually win hearts, minds, and lasting market share. Too many business builders treat branding as a superficial creative mask to be slapped onto a product at the very end of its development cycle. Our guest today—Lifang He—argues that this exact mistake is what kills promising products and drains investor capital. She should know. A standout global brand strategist and tech marketing leader, Lifang He brings nearly twenty years of masterclass experience driving go-to-market excellence for the world’s most influential market leaders. She grew up as a competitive athlete in China, stepped into the advertising arena with Wieden+Kennedy on the Nike business, and after moving to the U.S., landed inside Apple’s dedicated global advertising agency, Media Arts Lab, where she helped orchestrate multiple global iPhone launches and worked on the historic “Shot on iPhone” campaign. From there, she built categories at Amazon, scaled product ecosystems at Ring, and directed brand integration for Amazon Pharmacy. Her career has been defined by building products and brands that scale fast and deliver results. She has earned industry recognition such as a Cannes Lions Grand Prix Award, a Fastest Growing Brands Award, and a Jay Chiat Award for Strategic Excellence. She now leads a consultancy specializing in brand strategy, product innovation, and go-to-market. Lifang is also the author of the brilliant new guide, Brand Power Built In: How Tech Products Really Win Hearts and Minds. LISTEN TO this radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or go to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don’t miss an episode!
