October 2023 Friday’s e-links: The Rise and Fall of Blackberry

Last updated 10/20/23

Every once in a while, (and sometimes each day) I listen to a great podcast, enjoy an article, or see a good video that I want to share with you.

During the past two hours, I watched Blackberry. As a “fictional documentary” based on (some of) the facts, it followed the rise and fall of one of the first smartphones. Remembering the Blackberry, the film took us back to the first decade of the 21st century to a recent and quite distant tech world. It introduced the phone’s developers, its spread, and the role of big telecom. Having captured 45 percent of the cellphone market, the Blackberry soared and then plunged after Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone.

Not as sleek or clever as an Apple product, it had a QWERTY keyboard that actually clicked:

While reviewers questioned many of the film’s facts, I recommend it for the bigger issues.  It makes us think about the personality of developers. of brash CEOs, and Schumpeter’s creative destruction. It also was a really good story.

Do take a look: