GoPro's Woodman: 2017 will be better than 2016

LAS VEGAS — That Karma recall and the GoPro Hero 5 production problems?

Minor mishaps in the bigger picture.

The new year, 2017, will find action camera maker GoPro a stronger, leaner company, focused on fewer things, and it’s got a great future, insisted GoPro founder Nick Woodman at a CES press briefing Thursday.

“We had a rocky year in 2016,” he said. “But we launched the best products in the history of the company and did everything we said we were going to do.”

The problem was what happened after. The $1,099 Karma drone, released to strong reviews in October, was recalled within two weeks after reports of the devices falling from the skies during flight. GoPro said this week that it identified the source of the power loss—a mechanical issue related to securing the drone's battery. Karma’s relaunch date will be announced in February, he said.

“We’re embarrassed this was something as basic as a battery retention issue, but we’re relieved to show the world we do understand drones. It’s easy to fix.”

Woodman reminded the small press gathering that many assembled had written positive reviews for Karma and the Hero 5 camera, but that after the recall, the tone of GoPro press turned negative.

“The coverage was glowing until the recall,” he said. “Then it all changed.”

Paste BN noted to Woodman that there was more than just a recall. Production issues with the Hero 5, disappointing quarterly results, a 15% employee reduction and the shuttering of its entertainment arm. Not exactly all rosy.

“Laying off people and closing programs has nothing to do with consumer demand, it has to do with being real about your business,” he said. “Consumer demand is still strong for GoPro.”

Woodman says he learned from the past year not to try and take on so much, to have "so many spinning plates in the air."

After last year's issues, he had a "moment of clarity," and realized that focusing on a few things would produce better results, he said.

Stick with Paste BN and sister publication Reviewed.com for the latest from CES.