Recently, I got an email from a friend sharing 10 Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime including: 1.) the U.S. Postal Service, 2.) writing checks, 3.) newspapers, 4.) books, 5.) land line telephone, 6.) music, 7.) television, 8.) possession and ownership, 9.) "joined handwriting," 10.) privacy.I choose to see many of these things as morphing and evolving.
When the printing press was invented it changed the way we communicated. The horse and buggy morphed and evolved into the automobile. So many of these brick and mortar industries are disappearing due to the fact that many of these industries lost sight of what business they were in. I still remember Tom Swigart, Spartan Chemical Company, Toledo, Ohio, pointing out that the railroads saw themselves as being in the railroad business rather than the business of transportation and failed to embrace airplanes! Thus, there was no Penn Airline! Technology has challenged many businesses as to what business they are really in!
1.)
The Post Office lost sight that it was in the communication and delivery business. Communication and delivery has morphed into the
Internet (email) and FEDEX and UPS.2.) Check printers lost sight that they are or were in the business of money exchange. Checks have morphed into debit cards.
3.) The newspapers lost sight that they were in the news gathering and reporting business on an ASAP basis.
4.) Book publishers lost sight of being in the
business of sharing and distributing fiction and non-fiction. The
channels for this have exploded.
5.) Phone companies lost sight that they were in the business of electronic communications.
6.) The music industry lost sight that they were the music channel business. There has always been music and there will always be music. Thomas Edison turned the music industry upside down! Before the phonograph, you heard music live. Then record companies came along and controlled music and the artists. Napster came along and busted the music industry wide open. While the music industry has tried to put the "Jeanie" back in the bottle, its too late!
6.) The music industry lost sight that they were the music channel business. There has always been music and there will always be music. Thomas Edison turned the music industry upside down! Before the phonograph, you heard music live. Then record companies came along and controlled music and the artists. Napster came along and busted the music industry wide open. While the music industry has tried to put the "Jeanie" back in the bottle, its too late!
7.)
Television lost sight that they were part of the entertainment industry. They are being shoved to the sidelines!8.) Possession and ownership are going away. There is a bumper sticker, Own less. Live More. WHOLE LOT OF TRUTH TO THAT! In the end, what can you take with you?
9.) "Joined handwriting" is dying. Agreed, but I choose not to go down this path. I still write about 4 handwritten snail mail notes a day. Anything scare is valuable... gold, diamonds, handwritten notes.
10.) Privacy- yep. Gone. This blog will be forever available!The bigger question: Are you morphing and evolving? Will you be a faded memory due to a lack of vision and growth?
