AirPods are the opposite of what you are claiming. They were massively successful from the moment they launched, so much so that Apple has made basically no changes to them over the years and their sales haven't slowed.
I recall them being a slower burn that first year, still a great year but not to the degree of their other new products; but in under 3 years they were part of what I at the time called the San Francisco uniform:
1. AirPods
2. Apple Watch
3. An iPhone, if not visible was implied.
4. A messenger bag, backpack or purse.
5. Sunglasses
6. Some kind of mask to filter out the smog from the fires in 2019.
1. AirPods
2. Apple Watch
3. An iPhone, if not visible was implied.
4. A messenger bag, backpack or purse.
5. Sunglasses
6. Some kind of mask to filter out the smog from the fires in 2019.