[BjoernKW]

NeXT, for one. They didn't exactly die miserably, given their technology is what ultimately still runs Apple's OS software and APIs.

NeXT's business model was based on objects to some extent at least and they were enthusiastically selling object-oriented software as a business feature, rather than a technical matter only software developers care about.

Here's Steve Jobs demoing NeXTSTEP's object-oriented development environment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf5o5liZxnA

The way he explains it, it makes perfect sense (as one would expect): In an ideal world, an object-oriented software development approach not only allows non-technical people to define requirements but also enables them to compose and build applications from existing components without having to write a single line of code.

[rileyphone]

I think the model was ultimately pretty successful, with the primary example being the World Wide Web. The biggest reasons for the NeXT's failure was the decline of 68k coupled with rise of Windows IMO.