The underlying law of evolution

In 1981, the year I was born, one of the new tech inventions was the Channelizer. The Channelizer synchronized paid cable, VCR and over-the-air programming in one convenient package. It eliminated the need for costly wires, switches and installations. Despite the cheesy name, the Channelizer was on the right track.

I’m guessing you’ve never heard of the Channelizer. That’s because it no longer exists. The closest thing to the Channelizer today is the digital converter box. Although I’m not exactly sure why it didn’t stick around, I suspect that it had something to do with a failure to evolve into a relevant product.

Best Buy evolved; Circuit City did not. Fujifilm evolved; Kodak did not. Netflix evolved; Blockbuster did not. 

You already know what happened to the companies that failed to evolve.

It’s the underlying law of the universe that everything evolves. Everyone and everything evolves. Anything that fails to evolve ultimately breaks down and dies. This is as true for organisms as it is for organizations.

Adaptation is how we evolve to keep the whole going. It’s better to embrace it.