--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Kodak made its founder, George Eastman, a…" description: "\"“Kodak made its founder, George Eastman, a rich man, but it also provided middle-class jobs for generations of people and created a substantial share o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/erik-brynjolfsson-9007_entrepreneurship_kodak-made-its-founder-george-eastman-a_356936.jpg" --- # Kodak made its founder, George Eastman, a rich man, but it… ![“Kodak made its founder, George Eastman, a rich man, but it also provided middle-class jobs for generations of people and created a substantial share of the wealth created in the city of Rochester after company’s founding in 1880. But 132 years later, a few months before Instagram was sold to…” quote by Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/erik-brynjolfsson-9007_entrepreneurship_kodak-made-its-founder-george-eastman-a_356936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/erik-brynjolfsson-9007_entrepreneurship_kodak-made-its-founder-george-eastman-a_356936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/erik-brynjolfsson-9007_entrepreneurship_kodak-made-its-founder-george-eastman-a_356936.jpg) > ““Kodak made its founder, George Eastman, a rich man, but it also provided middle-class jobs for generations of people and created a substantial share of the wealth created in the city of Rochester after company’s founding in 1880. But 132 years later, a few months before Instagram was sold to Facebook, Kodak filed for bankruptcy. 8 Photography has never been more popular.”” [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kodak’s rise and fall illustrate how technological disruption can overturn even dominant firms, despite past societal contributions. **In simple terms:** Disruption can topple giants. Key Takeaway Adapt to change quickly. Themes innovation disruption economy legacy Mood cautious analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - business strategy - technology adoption - career planning - investment decisions Key Concepts creative destruction industrial cycles market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can firms future innovation? - What lessons do past failures teach about resilience? A Different Perspective Past success doesn’t guarantee future relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Rich man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-man/) ## Related quotes > [A doctrine of class war seemed to provide a solution to the problem of poverty to people who know nothing about how wealth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeane-kirkpatrick/a-doctrine-of-class-war-seemed-to-provide-a-solution-to-the-problem/) [Jeane Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeane-kirkpatrick/) > [The financial wealth that has been created is unprecedented. 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Since such creativity is virtually limitless, wealth is too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-ruwart/wealth-is-created-when-we-use-existing-resources-in-new-ways-since/) [Mary J. Ruwart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-ruwart/) > [“Americans were the first to understand that wealth has to be created. The words ‘to make money’ hold the essence of human morality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/americans-were-the-first-to-understand-that-wealth-has-to-be-created/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Wealth can be created. Wit and intelligence can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/wealth-can-be-created-wit-and-intelligence-can-t/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [Bitcoin is absolutely the Wild West of finance, and thank goodness. It represents a whole legion of adventurers and entrepreneurs, of risk takers, inventors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-voorhees/bitcoin-is-absolutely-the-wild-west-of-finance-and-thank-goodness-it/) [Erik Voorhees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-voorhees/) > [But the minute we went public on the stock market, which is how our wealth was created, it was no longer how many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/but-the-minute-we-went-public-on-the-stock-market-which-is-how-our/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [I am interested in a constructive approach, which looks at how wealth can be created using bright ideas that will help India prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/i-am-interested-in-a-constructive-approach-which-looks-at-how-wealth/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [“America is founded on the understanding that wealth can be created through innovation and enterprise. Through the system of technological capitalism, we can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/america-is-founded-on-the-understanding-that-wealth-can-be-created/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) ## More by Erik Brynjolfsson > [“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.” —Albert A. Bartlett”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/the-greatest-shortcoming-of-the-human-race-is-our-inability-to/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“But analog photography peaked in 2000.2”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/but-analog-photography-peaked-in-2000-2/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“originated at the California research institute SRI International and was purchased by Apple in 2010, listened to what iPhone users were saying to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/originated-at-the-california-research-institute-sri-international-and/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“Montessori classrooms emphasize self-directed learning, hands-on engagement with a wide variety of materials (including plants and animals), and a largely unstructured school day. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/montessori-classrooms-emphasize-self-directed-learning-hands-on/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“In fact, the ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay has increased from 70 in 1990 to 300 in 2005, and much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/in-fact-the-ratio-of-ceo-pay-to-average-worker-pay-has-increased-from/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“there’s never been a better time to be a worker with special skills or the right education, because these people can use technology to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/there-s-never-been-a-better-time-to-be-a-worker-with-special-skills/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“Work saves a man from three great evils: boredom, vice, and need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/work-saves-a-man-from-three-great-evils-boredom-vice-and-need/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [Knowing how to keep someone motivated and how to keep a connection are skills humans have learned and evolved over hundreds of thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/knowing-how-to-keep-someone-motivated-and-how-to-keep-a-connection/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“The many years that we all spend in schools learning skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic—as well as the additional learning that happens on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/the-many-years-that-we-all-spend-in-schools-learning-skills-like/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [Computers get better, faster than anything else ever. A child's PlayStation today is more powerful than a military supercomputer from 1996. But our brains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/computers-get-better-faster-than-anything-else-ever-a-child-s/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“Steven Pinker puts it, “The main lesson of thirty-five years of AI research is that the hard problems are easy and the easy problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/steven-pinker-puts-it-the-main-lesson-of-thirty-five-years-of-ai/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“And the data on everything from air quality to commodity prices to levels of violence show improvement over time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/and-the-data-on-everything-from-air-quality-to-commodity-prices-to/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“the message the labor market is clearly sending is that it’s much easier to create value with highly educated workers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/the-message-the-labor-market-is-clearly-sending-is-that-it-s-much/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [Technology has always been destroying jobs, and it has always been creating jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/technology-has-always-been-destroying-jobs-and-it-has-always-been/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“axis, all of those straight-ish lines would look like the first graph above of Andy’s tribble family—horizontal most of the way, then suddenly close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/axis-all-of-those-straight-ish-lines-would-look-like-the-first-graph/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) [Explore all 75 Erik Brynjolfsson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) ## More Entrepreneurship quotes > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So Mack got kind of a late start in the startup world—he founded TakeOff at the ripe old age of twenty-five”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doree-shafrir/so-mack-got-kind-of-a-late-start-in-the-startup-world-he-founded/) [Doree Shafrir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doree-shafrir/) > [“I would have been trying to pitch a concept about my community to someone that most likely was not a part of that community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-tyler/i-would-have-been-trying-to-pitch-a-concept-about-my-community-to/) Lamar Tyler > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [Stalking is an underrated startup strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/stalking-is-an-underrated-startup-strategy/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) > [What is entrepreneurship, after all? Bigness is not the issue. Poor people are the ones who take challenges every day. The guy who sells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/what-is-entrepreneurship-after-all-bigness-is-not-the-issue-poor/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [“I am a Software engineer by profession, Photographer by passion and An entrepreneur by Thinking ...! CEO, Founder of www.bibliofreaks.com - The online store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ganesh/i-am-a-software-engineer-by-profession-photographer-by-passion-and-an/) Ganesh > [“Every founder has a plan until it’s time to launch. I launch first and plan later, we’re not the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-bekoe/every-founder-has-a-plan-until-it-s-time-to-launch-i-launch-first-and/) [Marion Bekoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-bekoe/) > [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/) [Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/) > [Friends don't always make the best of business partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-campbell/friends-don-t-always-make-the-best-of-business-partners/) Chris Campbell > [The big thing was realizing for myself that I had tied my ego to the outcomes and to startups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/the-big-thing-was-realizing-for-myself-that-i-had-tied-my-ego-to-the/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [“Personally, I believe in tools that close the gap between professionals and beginners, understanding that — push comes to shove — this is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-busche/personally-i-believe-in-tools-that-close-the-gap-between/) [Laura Busche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-busche/) > [Entrepreneurship is the very back bone of our country and what makes us great - we are a nation of founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/entrepreneurship-is-the-very-back-bone-of-our-country-and-what-makes/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [We must never lose sight of the fact that we must take part in the development, not only of ourselves but of all humanity...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/we-must-never-lose-sight-of-the-fact-that-we-must-take-part-in-the/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) [Browse all 1,735 Entrepreneurship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Kodak made its founder, George Eastman, a rich man, but it also provided middle-class jobs for generations of people and created a substantial share of the wealth created in the city of Rochester after company’s founding in 1880. 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