“Darlin', I Can’t Take My Computer to the Bathroom” and Other Excuses That Kill Businesses
Back in my first company, I heard that gem from a client resisting the internet. Kodak made the same kind of mistake, only with the digital camera. The lesson? Technology doesn’t wait until you're ready for it. Here’s why AI is the shift you can’t afford to ignore.
This week, Kodak announced that things are not so picture-perfect. Despite its storied 133-year legacy and more reinventions than Madonna, the company issued a “going concern” warning. Translation: they’ve got about $500 million in debt coming due and no committed financing to cover it. Unless something changes fast, another industry titan will fall.
Here’s the twist: Kodak invented the device that led to its demise. Back in 1975, engineer Steven Sasson created the first digital camera. The prototype was bulky, slow, and about as pocket-friendly as a toaster. Yet, that humble device was a harbinger of our social-media age.
Kodak’s leadership panicked. They shelved the idea, afraid it would cannibalize their blockbuster film business. Meanwhile, competitors swooped in, mobile phones leaped ahead, and the firm that once commanded 90% of the market is on the brink of extinction.
Reel in the Lesson
This takes me back to my first company, when a huge part of my job was convincing aircraft brokers and dealers that the internet was not, in fact, a fad. While this seems absurd now, it was a Herculean task.
At the time, their primary source of sales information was print ads. I’d tell them, “You wouldn’t use a week-old newspaper to make stock trades, so why rely on outdated tools when information is your currency?” One broker famously shot back, “Darling, I can’t take my computer to the bathroom.” (Well, that trend certainly changed….unfortunately.)
Fast forward to today, and I’m seeing the same divide with AI. On one side of the spectrum, we have the experimenters, testing, learning, and exploring what AI can do. On the other side, we see the arm-crossers waiting for the fuss to blow over. Spoiler: it’s not blowing over.
Now, is AI perfect? Nope. But here’s the thing, it’s far better to understand the technology and shape how you use it than to sit on the sidelines and hope it never impacts your business - like Kodak and that aircraft dealer. AI isn’t here to replace your brain, your creativity, or your judgment. You can use it to free you from the tasks that eat-up your time and don’t require your genius. AI can do first drafts, data summaries, email templates, and repetitive tasks in minutes. That’s time you can spend on revenue-generating work, serving clients, or, you know… actually taking a lunch break.
Frame Your Future
Learn from Kodak. Adapt and experiment – even when it’s uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Your business doesn’t need to be the next cautionary tale in a Harvard Business Review case study. Test the new thing. Play with it. See where it can make you faster, better, and more profitable.
Because if you’re still waiting to “see how it plays out,” there’s a competitor out there right now learning how to make it work, and they’re going to beat you to it