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Land was not surprised by digital photography. Heβd argued for that loonshot in front of the president of the United States. He did so before anyone else was even in the game. In a 1988 ceremony honoring Land, the director of the CIA, William Webster, declared, βThe contributions Dr. Land has made to national security are innumerable, and the influence he has had on our present intelligence capabilities is unequaled.β So what happened with Polaroid? Why didnβt Land jump on digital for his own company, exploit the head start from his national intelligence connections, and use those advantages to beat Sony, Canon, and Nikon to the punch? FALLING IN LOVE Moses Trap: When ideas advance only at the pleasure of a holy leader, who acts for love of loonshots rather than strength of strategy
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Safi Bahcall (Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries)