Rush to symptom

Kodak was once the undisputed leader in photography. In 1975, one of their engineers, Steven Sasson, developed the first digital camera. You’d think this innovation would solidify Kodak’s dominance for decades to come. Instead, it marked the beginning of their decline.

Why? Kodak didn’t embrace the root problem digital cameras solved: people’s desire for convenience and immediacy in capturing and sharing memories.

Instead, they focused on the symptom: preserving their profitable film business. They hesitated to invest in digital because they feared it would cannibalize their core product. In their impatience to protect short-term profits, they overlooked the long-term shift in customer needs.

The result? Competitors like Canon and Sony seized the digital market, and Kodak eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

True innovation requires asking, What problem are we really solving? and having the courage to let go of what no longer serves the future. Focusing on symptoms instead of root causes may feel safe, but it’s a path to irrelevance.