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How to avoid being left behind when these technologies reach maturity.
January 14, 2025
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Many breakthrough products include multiple technologies that evolved very slowly — sometimes over decades. To avoid being surprised or overtaken by competitors, companies must systematically track the evolution of these “slow-cooking” technologies as they improve in performance and decrease in price. The window of opportunity that arrives when all the right technologies reach the point of maturity may be smaller than you think.
Self-driving automobiles may seem like a cutting-edge 21st-century technology — a challenge still facing obstacles before widespread adoption. But in fact, autonomous driving has been evolving in fits and starts for a full century. Its evolution can teach managers how to deal with innovations that depend on multiple slow-developing technologies that come together at different speeds and costs.
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Tucker J. Marion is an associate professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at Northeastern’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business and the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering.
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David Deeds is The Schulze Professor of Entrepreneurship at The University of St. Thomas and academic director of The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. He is also a co-founder of The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Exchange and FamilyBusiness.org.
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John H. Friar is an executive professor of management and entrepreneurship at Northeastern University.
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New!
HBR Learning
Innovation and Creativity Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Innovation and Creativity. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Unlock your team’s curiosity and willingness to take smart risks.
