Citation
Kodak
TL;DR
70% of profits from film sales
Comprehensive corporate history documenting: 1975 digital camera invention, 70% profit dependency on film, 2012 bankruptcy filing. Illustrates how incentive blockers (film profits), infrastructure blockers (chemical manufacturing plants), and identity blockers ('film company' culture) prevented signal transduction despite early and clear detection of the digital photography shift.
Kodak's case demonstrates that sensing alone doesn't save organizations. The company had the world's best imaging research labs. They detected every signal. But organizational neuropathy - blocked transduction pathways - prevented action until it was too late.
Key Findings from contributors (2025)
- Founded 1888, filed bankruptcy 2012 (131 years)
- 70% of profits from film sales
- Invented digital photography 1975
- Massive chemical manufacturing infrastructure (hundreds of millions in sunk costs)