8 Famous Technology Quotes That Were Proven Wrong

In this episode of the Digital Enterprise Society podcast, Thom Singer and Craig Brown are switching up the usual interview format to dive into some of the most laughable quotes that have been proven wrong. With combined nearly 75 years of experience in the business world, Thom and Craig have seen their fair share of absolute truths get completely upended, only to result in more advanced technology and positive market disruptions.  From the ‘supernova collapse’ of the Internet to the destined failure of remote shopping, this episode covers a variety of quotes that everyone will agree were (thankfully) 100% wrong.    On today’s podcast, you will learn: “Why would anyone want a personal computer?” This now-laughable quote was made by MIT engineer and Digital Equipment Corporation co-founder Ken Olsen in 1977.  Just a decade later, people were lugging around personal computers.  This quote may have been that there are other things to do in life besides sitting at a computer and working with simulations. Car phones once seemed like an equally laughable idea.    “You can have time to market, quality, or lost cost, but you can’t have all three.” The evolution of this quote might still depend on where you are.  In the world of building a product from scratch, this was once a common phrase.  Low-cost producers have figured out how to do high-quality work that is faster to market.  The wake-up call comes from lessons learned from US car businesses in the 80s and 90s.    “Whoever releases first sets the interface standard...”  Craig has the details of this engineering lesson learned.  An unwillingness to change is how businesses fail in changing industries.  The actual winner is whoever releases a complete working system.  Companies need to have standards and maintain them, regardless of who releases first.    “There is no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share.” Steve Balmer, the CEO of Microsoft, said this infamous quote in 2007, when the iPhone was first released.  Innovation is the key to market disruption.  Companies that succeed are the ones that focus on what matters to consumers.    “We could never live without face-to-face” and “We’ll never go back to face-to-face.” Which one is right?  In light of the pandemic, we are capable of proceeding with both.  Societies that have prospered are the ones that have figured out how to hold social interactions best.  There is an irreplaceable set of benefits that come with face-to-face interactions.  Many businesses have not suffered in the expected ways through the pandemic.  Humans are better when we work together, but we can be selective about how we get together.  Collaboration will always happen best in person.  Face time matters- if you’re not in person, you might be forgotten or passed over.  Time together should be spent on the most meaningful things.    Continue the conversation with us within the Digital Enterprise Society Community at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org.