BlackBerry was once the king of smartphones, but a single decision—one that seemed harmless—set them on a path to collapse.

BlackBerry was once the king of smartphones.  

But a single decision—one that seemed harmless—set them on a path to collapse.  

They had the resources to survive and the tech to dominate.  

So why did they lose to Apple?  

Here’s the shocking truth behind their downfall: 🧵

In the early 2000s, BlackBerry was "the smartphone." 

It was the device that made you look like a true professional.  

In fact, the company became synonymous with productivity, especially among executives & politicians.  

By 2007, it had more than 16 million active users worldwide.

But by the mid-2000s, BlackBerry's success was starting to look like a double-edged sword.  

It was the market leader, but its success also led to complacency — and that would come back to haunt them.

In 2007, Apple launched the iPhone, changing the landscape of mobile technology forever.  

The iPhone wasn’t just a phone; it was a revolutionary product that combined a sleek design with an intuitive touch interface, a full-fledged browser, and an app ecosystem.

BlackBerry, however, made a crucial mistake.  

They failed to see the emerging consumer demand for smartphones that were both functional and entertaining.  

The iPhone, with its larger screen, and user-friendly interface, was designed for the masses, not just the business elite.

Even more critically, BlackBerry’s leadership dismissed the iPhone’s potential.  

Mike Lazaridis, co-founder and then-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM, BlackBerry’s parent company), famously said that:  

"The iPhone is an entertainment device. The BlackBerry is a business tool."

This kind of denial turned out to be a fatal flaw.

BlackBerry did not take the iPhone seriously, and instead of adapting, they stuck with the same approach that had worked for them in the past.

While BlackBerry stuck to its corporate strategy, Apple’s iPhone was not the only force reshaping the market.   

Android, Google's open-source operating system, was rapidly gaining traction.  

By 2008, Android had entered the market with the launch of the T-Mobile G1, and soon became the dominant mobile OS, with more than 85% market share by 2013.

BlackBerry’s operating system, on the other hand, was outdated.  

It failed to attract developers for apps and didn’t offer the same kind of flexibility and user experience that Android and iOS did.

BlackBerry’s OS, along with its “business-only” focus, simply couldn’t compete.  

RIM’s decision to stay in its corporate comfort zone meant that it missed the app revolution, which would come to define the smartphone industry.  

By 2010, BlackBerry’s market share began to slide.

Consumers were flocking to iPhones and Android devices.  

By 2012, Apple surpassed BlackBerry in total smartphone sales, and BlackBerry’s stock price dropped.  

In 2013, BlackBerry tried to reinvent itself with a new line of devices, the BlackBerry Z10, which featured a new operating system and a full touchscreen.

But it was too little, too late.  

Consumers were no longer interested in what BlackBerry had to offer.  

The app ecosystem, the touch interface, and the sheer versatility of iPhones and Android phones had already won the war.

BlackBerry was eventually forced to abandon its hardware business in 2016, and by 2018, the company officially pivoted to a software and services model.  

The rise and fall of BlackBerry serves as a powerful lesson about the importance of adaptability in business.

"The Digital Gold Rush Is Upon Us."  

Just like the internet in the 90s, or the iPhone in 2007...    

Personal Branding is the next BIG THING.