Have you ever gone back to a product after a ‘meh’ — or 'yikes' — first experience?

We’ve been thinking a lot lately about second chances—how to win back early/beta users after a first impression that didn’t quite land.

Sometimes the product just isn’t ready yet. Sometimes expectations are off. Sometimes life just gets in the way. But once someone’s bounced… is there actually a good way to earn a second shot?

One comeback that sticks with me: Cyberpunk 2077.

The launch was a disaster. But they fixed the bugs, added content, shut up, and let the community do the talking. Eventually, enough people said “hey, it’s actually great now,” and I gave it another shot. They earned it.

Not with a rebrand or a clever email campaign—just with time, product work, and a better experience.

So I’m curious:

Have you ever been won back by a product after a rough first impression?

What changed your mind—word of mouth, new feature, timing?

What should product teams actually do to make comebacks happen?

Asking selfishly, but also because I don’t think we talk enough about recovery arcs in tech. Success stories are usually linear. Most of ours aren’t.

Bonus points if your anecdote isn't a video game :).