The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention
MIT Sloan Management Review|Fall 2024
Organizational identity, architecture, and collaboration can be either assets or liabilities to pursuing growth in new sectors.
Ryan Raffaelli
The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention

STEVE JOBS WALKED ONTO THE Macworld stage in San Francisco on Jan. 9, 2007, and announced, "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone." He promised that the first-generation iPhone would be available for purchase in just six months - but the prototype Jobs held in his hand was far from a finished product. His team was still working on developing a more durable touchscreen for the smartphone. Although glass was one option, Apple had been unable to find a material that did not shatter when the phone was dropped.

Immediately after the presentation, Jobs called Wendell Weeks, CEO of Corning, the company that Thomas Edison had engaged to create the glass encasements for the world's first light bulbs. Jobs gave Weeks just a few days to decide whether Corning would partner with Apple to develop a durable glass touchscreen. For Weeks, such a commitment would mean redirecting critical resources and 300 people away from the company's successful LCD business, a division delivering much-needed cash flow. He also noted a palpable fear of failure, telling me later, "There were some in the company who thought what Jobs wanted was an impossibility. If we took this on and failed, Jobs would turn Corning into a pariah because we would have been the ones who stopped the iPhone."

Corning's dilemma - how and when to divert limited resources and know-how to an unproven new product line represents a common reinvention challenge that most organizations face at some point. When successful, reinvention can lead to breakthrough innovations like Gorilla Glass, the product that emerged from Corning's decision to partner with Apple and has since been used in over 8 billion devices by more than 45 major brands.

Bu hikaye MIT Sloan Management Review dergisinin Fall 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye MIT Sloan Management Review dergisinin Fall 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation
MIT Sloan Management Review

Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation

To capitalize on emerging technologies while mitigating unanticipated consequences, innovation managers need to establish a systematic review process.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024
Make a Stronger Business Case for Sustainability
MIT Sloan Management Review

Make a Stronger Business Case for Sustainability

When greener products and processes add costs, managers can shift other levers to maintain profitability.

time-read
9 dak  |
Fall 2024
How to Turn Professional Services Into Products
MIT Sloan Management Review

How to Turn Professional Services Into Products

Product-based business models can help services firms achieve greater scale and profitability. But the transformation can be challenging.

time-read
10 dak  |
Fall 2024
Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?
MIT Sloan Management Review

Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?

The right answer depends on the strategic importance and maturity of AI in your company.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024
Where To Next? Opportunity on the Edge
MIT Sloan Management Review

Where To Next? Opportunity on the Edge

Doing business in regions considered less stable or developed can pay off for companies. But they must invest in working with local communities.

time-read
10 dak  |
Fall 2024
Make Smarter Investments in Resilient Supply Chains
MIT Sloan Management Review

Make Smarter Investments in Resilient Supply Chains

Many companies invest in resilience only after a disruption. Applying the concept of real options can help decision makers fortify supply chain capabilities no matter the crisis.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024
The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention
MIT Sloan Management Review

The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention

Organizational identity, architecture, and collaboration can be either assets or liabilities to pursuing growth in new sectors.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024
What Makes Companies Do the Right Thing?
MIT Sloan Management Review

What Makes Companies Do the Right Thing?

Vaccine makers varied widely in their engagement with global public health efforts to broaden access to COVID-19 immunizations. Ethically motivated leadership was a dominant factor.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024
Build the Right C-Suite Team for Your Strategy
MIT Sloan Management Review

Build the Right C-Suite Team for Your Strategy

CEOs can foster a more effective leadership team by understanding when to tap senior executives' competitive instincts and when to encourage collaboration.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024
A Better Way to Unlock Innovation and Drive Change
MIT Sloan Management Review

A Better Way to Unlock Innovation and Drive Change

A strengths-based approach to building teams can win employee commitment to change and foster an inclusive, agile culture.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Fall 2024