When a buyer posts about a failed project

A leader who writes publicly about a project that failed is telling you two things. The problem is real, and it's still not solved.

That's a strong signal. And it's the easiest one to ruin by moving too fast.

Why leaders write about failure

Senior people rarely post about their own mistakes in detail. When they do, it's usually framed as a lesson. What we learned from a migration that went sideways. Why our first data platform didn't stick. Three things I'd do differently on a transformation program.

There are a few reasons they write it. Some want to show they're honest and self-aware. Some are processing it. Some are setting up the next attempt, getting the story out before they ask for budget again.

That last reason matters most to you. A leader who writes about a failure is often preparing to try again.

What the post tells you

Read it closely. The lessons they list tell you what they think went wrong. That's your best clue to what they'll do differently next time.

If they say the vendor didn't understand the business, they'll want a partner who asks more questions up front. If they say the scope was too big, they'll want something phased. If they say the business didn't adopt it, they'll care about change management more than technology.

And notice what they don't say. Leaders rarely blame their own team or their boss in public. The real cause is often one layer deeper than the post admits.

Stack it before you write

A post about a past failure is a topic signal. On its own, it tells you interest, not intent.

So check the account. Is the company hiring again for the same kind of work? Is there a new leader in the seat above them? Does the latest filing still mention the problem? A failure post plus fresh job posts for the same function is a sign the second attempt is being planned. There's more on stacking in the buying signals guide.

Don't pounce

The worst response is the one most vendors send. A message within a day saying you saw their post and your firm can help them get it right this time.

That reads like you're feeding on their misfortune. It assumes the failure was someone else's fault and you're the fix. And it treats an honest post as a sales lead.

Wait a week or two. Let the post settle. Then write something that shows you understood what they said, not that you spotted an opening.

What to send

Write a short hypothesis about what comes next, not what went wrong. Use their own lessons as context.

Say a director of data at a specialty retailer posts about why the company's first customer data platform rollout stalled, and the main lesson she names is that the marketing team never trusted the data. A month later, the company posts for a data governance lead.

Your post on the customer data platform stuck with me, the part about marketing never trusting the numbers especially. With a data governance role now open, my guess is the next attempt starts with agreeing on definitions before any new tooling goes in. Is that the plan, or is the bigger question something else?

It respects the post. It shows you read it for substance. It guesses at the next step instead of reopening the wound. And it's easy to correct.

Who else was involved

A failed project has a cast. Someone sponsored it, someone ran it, someone supported what was left behind. Some of them may still be at the company, and some may have left.

The people who stayed have their own view of what went wrong. The ones who left might be a warm path back in, if they left on good terms. There's more on handling the follow-up in when they say we tried this before.

A failure post is a leader opening a door a little. Walk through it slowly, with a guess about the next attempt.