From Film to Fade: Kodak’s Journey Through Changing Frames

In 1996, Kodak was a $31 billion titan, controlling 90% of the global film market and synonymous with photography itself. But today, the company is a shadow of its former self—a cautionary tale of innovation ignored and disruption denied. The unraveling began when Kodak, ironically, shelved the very technology that could have saved it: the digital camera, invented by its own engineer in 1975.

 

Key Highlights:

 

• Market Dominance: At its peak, Kodak’s film and cameras captured nearly every photo taken worldwide, making it a household name.
 

• Digital Camera Invention: In 1975, Kodak engineer Steve Sasson built the first digital camera. Fearing it would cannibalize film sales, Kodak’s leadership buried the technology.
 

• Missed Opportunities: As digital photography advanced, rivals like Sony and Canon seized the market. Kodak clung to film, underestimating the speed of digital adoption.
 

• Late Pivot: Kodak eventually entered the digital market, but too late. By 2012, it filed for bankruptcy, having lost its relevance and market share.
 

• Legacy: The “Kodak moment” became a metaphor for missed innovation and corporate inertia.

 

Outlook:

 

Kodak’s story is a stark reminder: disrupt yourself before others do. In today’s fast-moving tech landscape, companies must embrace change—even if it threatens their core business—to survive and thrive.

 

Source: Harvard Business Review, BBC, The Guardian