- Published on
The Medium Was Never the Message
- Authors
- Name
- Dr. Paul Moon
Kodak didn't miss the digital revolution. Kodak invented it.
In 1975, a 24-year-old Kodak engineer named Steve Sasson built the world's first digital camera. His executives' response: "That's cute — but don't tell anyone about it."
They were protecting a film business worth billions. They chose preservation over transformation — and it cost them everything.
I'm watching organizations repeat this with AI right now. The innovation is already inside the building. Someone on your team has already prototyped the AI-powered version of what you do. And leadership's quiet response is Kodak's response: that's cute — but it threatens the business we know how to run.
Here's the diagnosis from my book: Kodak confused the medium with the message. Their mission was never film — it was helping people hold onto moments that mattered. Film was just the vehicle.
What's your film? And what's your mission?
From Dancing in the Wind: An Adaptive Leadership Framework in the Age of AI.