We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail? : Planet Money - NPR
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General Magic had world-class talent and investor backing in the 90s — so why did their proto-smartphone vanish before anyone noticed it existed?
First-Mover DisadvantageTechnology Adoption Life CycleCreative DestructionMarket Timing Theory
Theory Briefing
- General Magic assembled elite Silicon Valley talent in the early 90s to build what looked like a smartphone — decades before the iPhone.
- Despite generous investors and creative freedom, the device failed to reach consumers, raising questions about what kills great ideas before launch.
- The story challenges the idea that talent and funding alone determine which technologies survive and which disappear.
- Timing may matter as much as vision — a product ahead of its infrastructure has nowhere to land.