Apple vs. Blackberry: A Deeper Truth About Life
Not long ago, BlackBerry dominated the smartphone market. Its signature physical keyboard and strong security made it the choice for corporate leaders and government officials worldwide. Then, in 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone—sleek, simple, and revolutionary. In just a few years, Apple transformed the tech world, while BlackBerry faded away. Why?
BlackBerry struggled because it failed to adapt. It clung to past successes and resisted change. Apple, by contrast, embraced innovation while staying true to its core values of creativity, simplicity, and user experience. This story is more than a business case study—it offers timeless lessons about growth, humility, and perseverance on the path to our own “promised land.”
The NYT Millennium Edition
For many years in the 90’s there was a small advertisement that ran every Friday on the bottom corner of the front page of the New York Times. It read, “Jewish Women: Shabbat candle lighting time this Friday is ____pm.” It not only served as a reminder of this eternal mitzvah, but it also expressed Jewish pride.
The advertisement ceased after the sponsor ended it, but it reappeared once.
The Difference Between Kodak & Amazon
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 20% of new businesses fail during their first two years of operation and 65% within the first ten years. Only 25% of new businesses survive for 15 years or more.
While there are many root causes for this phenomenon, two primary reasons are often cited: remaining rigid or expanding too quickly.
One Small Step
At 10:56 p.m. ET on July 20, 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong put his foot on the lunar surface and famously declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil’s “one small step” was only made possible through years of research and hard work from a large team of experts and billions of dollars of investments.
Parents kvell while watching their children grow up, but they also remember the sleepless nights, the kvetching they had to put up with, the sacrifices they made and the resources they invested in educating their children to develop into mature, good, Yiddishe Mentchen.