dead duck
noun [ C usually singular ] informal uk/ˌded ˈdʌk/ us/ˌded ˈdʌk/
(尤指因过错或判断失误造成的)劣势,不太可能成功的人(或事物)
someone or something that is very unlikely to be successful, especially because of a mistake or bad judgment
Thanks to the lack of market research, the project was a dead duck right from the start. 由于缺少市场调查,这个项目从一开始就先天不足。