6 incredibly hyped software trends that failed to deliver

""We are such stuff as dreams are made on," says Prospero in The Tempest. While he was reflecting on humanity's fleeting existence, he could just as well have been describing the tech industry's fascination with shiny new objects that come and go. Over the decades, countless software leaders have fallen into the age-old trap of chasing "the next big thing," only to find themselves trying to fit a round peg into a square hole."

""There are plenty of examples of this, where we jumped the gun and paid the price," says Brian Fox, CTO of Sonatype, a provider of software supply chain security software. A 2025 HostingAdvice.com survey found that most programming language migrations are driven by hype rather than proven outcomes. And, a MIT report recently noted that although 80% of enterprises have attempted generative AI pilots, only 5% of those pilots succeeded. The vast majority of those projects stalled, or failed to deliver benefits in production."

"When the market is saturated with lofty excitement and surging VC interest, it's human nature to fall for the headlines and lose a bit of sanity to FOMO in the process. But what happens next is usually shoved under the rug: embarrassing overinvestment, abandoned projects, unmet promises, and, ultimately, unfulfilled dreams. In the aftermath of a hollow hype wave, we're often left with a handful of legitimate use cases, wavering support, and sometimes outright scams."

Tech organizations frequently pursue hyped technologies and hurried migrations without proven outcomes. Many leaders chase the 'next big thing' and subsequently attempt to force-fit unsuitable solutions. Surveys show most programming language migrations are motivated by hype rather than results. Generative AI pilots reached high adoption but delivered few production benefits, with only about 5% succeeding. Amara's Law explains the pattern of short-term overestimation and long-term underestimation of technological impact. The predictable consequences include overinvestment, abandoned projects, unmet promises, diminished support, and occasional scams. Careful post-mortems can reveal genuine use cases and lessons to guide future technology decisions.

Read at InfoWorld