While we often hear about the importance of being first to market, the history of high-tech innovation teaches us that being first isn’t everything. Apple wasn’t first with the graphical user interface; IBM wasn’t first with the PC; and the World Wide Web wasn’t the first internet protocol.
In some cases, second-place winners succeed because they have the opportunity to learn from the shortcomings of their predecessors. In others, the companies that come first are too far ahead of the market. And nearly always, the mere passage of time – and the relentless march of Moore’s law – can make the difference.
From “The High Tech Tortoise,” by Leslie Berlin for Think Quarterly
image via MayaEvening
