Do You "Like" Your Team Dynamics?"
Google Buzz was a risk because social is not a core competence of Google. There were many similar solutions being offered at the time, and consumers didn't adopt Buzz. It was a risk, and it didn't pay off. Google Wave was a risk, too; because, while the concept may have been good, the product was complicated and difficult to explain. Those two projects took a lot of engineering hours, but it's fair to say that Google learned from them.
One of the biggest risks taken by a major US corporation was Coca-Cola's introduction of New Coke. Amid a shrinking market share, Coca-Cola introduced "New Coke."Consumer didn't like it and were vocal about their displeasure. That was a big risk for Coke - changing the formula for their top selling product. It's a risk that didn't pay off, but Coke has rebounded since then. They've eliminated "New Coke" and brought back "Classic Coke."
Gmail was a risk for Google. Offering 1GB isn't a big deal when you take into consideration how much cheaper storage space has gotten from just a decade ago. A new mail interface that broke away from conventional email interfaces was a risk. It caught people off guard - Google offering a mail program. It's fair to say that this risk has paid off. Today, Gmail is the most widely used email provider. Amazon is a company known for its risks It is constantly experimenting and inventing, unafraid to fail. One big risk for them was letting other merchants sell through Amazon. It would allow a merchant to undercut Amazon's price, which would lead to fewer sales for Amazon.