Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)…
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
Changes by David Bowie
I recently ran across an article in Macworld by Dan Moren. The article is entitled Apple Is Quietly Preparing for a Future Without the iPhone-Or Another Big Thing.
In the article, Moren talks about how several well-known tech companies have pivoted even when they seemingly were on the top of their game. By pivoting sooner rather than later, these companies set themselves up for survival. And even greater success in a changing world. Says Moren, “Where once they might have ruled the world by producing the thing that everybody needed to have—whether it was a hardware product or a crucial piece of software—they seem to eventually evolve into a new form, one where they’re focused less on delivering a key product and more on what service they provide.”
He gives two well-known examples. First, he observes that IBM was once the market leader when it came to business computers. But despite its dominance, it got beaten by a then upstart, Apple. Instead of fighting what probably would have been a losing battle, IBM moved out of business computers. It moved into enterprise services, where it remains successful. But I’m sure that decision wasn’t so clear or easy at the time.
Moren’s second example is Microsoft. Microsoft was once the market business software leader with its Office productivity suite and the Windows operating systems. And it guarded its platforms zealously. But Moren says Microsoft missed the mobile revolution. And it ultimately recognized that it had to change to remain successful. Today, says Moren, “Microsoft is everybody’s best friend,” announcing partnerships with other tech companies it once tried to bury.