--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The killer app that got the world ready…" description: "\"The killer app that got the world ready for appliances was the light bulb. So the light bulb is what wired the world. And they weren't thinking about a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/jeff-bezos-1193_appliances_the-killer-app-that-got-the-world-ready_455019.jpg" --- # The killer app that got the world ready for appliances was… ![“The killer app that got the world ready for appliances was the light bulb. So the light bulb is what wired the world. And they weren't thinking about appliances when they wired the world. They were really thinking about - they weren't putting electricity into the home. They were putting lighting…” quote by Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/jeff-bezos-1193_appliances_the-killer-app-that-got-the-world-ready_455019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/jeff-bezos-1193_appliances_the-killer-app-that-got-the-world-ready_455019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8f/jeff-bezos-1193_appliances_the-killer-app-that-got-the-world-ready_455019.jpg) > “The killer app that got the world ready for appliances was the light bulb. So the light bulb is what wired the world. And they weren't thinking about appliances when they wired the world. They were really thinking about - they weren't putting electricity into the home. They were putting lighting into the home.” [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The light bulb enabled widespread electricity, which later allowed appliances to become common household items. **In simple terms:** Light bulb made electricity common, paving way for appliances. Key Takeaway Recognize foundational technologies that enable later innovations. Themes technology innovation infrastructure electricity appliances Mood reflective optimistic analytical Type historical strategic insightful When to use this quote - Home electrification - urban planning - product design - market adoption - policy making Key Concepts Diffusion of innovation network effects technological convergence Questions to Reflect On - What technologies today could become platforms for future innovations? - How do cultural factors shape technology adoption? A Different Perspective Assumes linear progression; overlooks social and economic barriers to adoption. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appliances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appliances/) [Appliances Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appliances-light-3963627/) [Appliances Wired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appliances-wired-3963628/) [Bulb Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulb-light-2363737/) [Bulb Wired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulb-wired-3963629/) [Electricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electricity/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light bulb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-bulb/) [Lighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lighting/) [Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Only one, but the light bulb has to WANT to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-john-allan/q-how-many-psychiatrists-does-it-take-to-change-a-light-bulb-a-only-2/) [David John Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-john-allan/) > [A man without a woman to love is just like a bulb without it's light.. dark and lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-delan/a-man-without-a-woman-to-love-is-just-like-a-bulb-without-it-s-light/) [John Lee Delan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-delan/) > [Be patient, if thou wouldst thy ends accomplish; for like patience is there no appliance effective of success, producing certainly abundant fruit of actions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-bharavi/be-patient-if-thou-wouldst-thy-ends-accomplish-for-like-patience-is/) [J. K. Bharavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-bharavi/) > [I don't know how to use appliances. I mean, I use the coffee maker. But that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-eisenman/i-don-t-know-how-to-use-appliances-i-mean-i-use-the-coffee-maker-but/) [Peter Eisenman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-eisenman/) > [Even one's own home is a kind of anthology of advertisers, manufacturers, motifs and presentation techniques. There's nothing 'natural' about one's home these days.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/even-one-s-own-home-is-a-kind-of-anthology-of-advertisers/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [Everything has a trend to it; I don't care if it's appliances or engines. I always ask: What has a company done in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-drexler/everything-has-a-trend-to-it-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-appliances-or/) [Millard Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-drexler/) > [As homeowners see the value of their homes decline, they become more likely to delay purchases of the big items - like automobiles, electronics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/as-homeowners-see-the-value-of-their-homes-decline-they-become-more/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [There will soon be streams of data coming from all manner of products - appliances, clothing, sporting goods, you name it. Wouldn't you rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/there-will-soon-be-streams-of-data-coming-from-all-manner-of-products/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [They don't make poles long enough for me want to touch Microsoft products, and I don't want any mass-marketed game-playing device or Windows appliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/they-don-t-make-poles-long-enough-for-me-want-to-touch-microsoft/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [Mix salt and sand, and it shall puzzle the wisest of men, with his mere natural appliances, to separate all the grains of sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/mix-salt-and-sand-and-it-shall-puzzle-the-wisest-of-men-with-his-mere/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [If you have 50 different plug types, appliances wouldn't be available and would be very expensive. But once an electric outlet becomes standardized, many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-have-50-different-plug-types-appliances-wouldn-t-be-available/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Developed and benefited from the unsustainable patterns of production and consumption which have produced our present dilemma. It is clear that current lifestyles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/developed-and-benefited-from-the-unsustainable-patterns-of-production/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [The wonderful world of home appliances now makes it possible to cook indoors with charcoal and outdoors with gas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/the-wonderful-world-of-home-appliances-now-makes-it-possible-to-cook/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [If you want a reliable tip, drive into a town, go to the nearest appliance store and seek out the dishwasher repair man. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-q-miller/if-you-want-a-reliable-tip-drive-into-a-town-go-to-the-nearest/) [Bryan Q. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-q-miller/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Jeff Bezos > [I think technology advanced faster than anticipated. In that whirlwind, a lot of companies didn't survive. The reason we have done well is because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-technology-advanced-faster-than-anticipated-in-that-whirlwind/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [The death knell for any enterprise is to glorify the past -- no matter how good it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-death-knell-for-any-enterprise-is-to-glorify-the-past-no-matter/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [People who are right most of the time are people who change their minds often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/people-who-are-right-most-of-the-time-are-people-who-change-their/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [The human brain is an incredible pattern-matching machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-human-brain-is-an-incredible-pattern-matching-machine/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Work hard, have fun and make history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/work-hard-have-fun-and-make-history/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you can't tolerate critics, don't do anything new or interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-can-t-tolerate-critics-don-t-do-anything-new-or-interesting/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you can't feed a team with two pizzas, it's too large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-can-t-feed-a-team-with-two-pizzas-it-s-too-large/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [We also have no incentive compensation of any kind. And the reason we don’t is because it is detrimental to teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-also-have-no-incentive-compensation-of-any-kind-and-the-reason-we/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you build a great product or service, people will talk about it. But it starts with having something that's worth talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-build-a-great-product-or-service-people-will-talk-about-it-but/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I think the definition of a book is changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-the-definition-of-a-book-is-changing/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you're truly obsessed over customers, it'll cover a lot of errors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-re-truly-obsessed-over-customers-it-ll-cover-a-lot-of-errors/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [One of the things that I'm very excited about with New Shepard, which is our suborbital tourism vehicle, is using that to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/one-of-the-things-that-i-m-very-excited-about-with-new-shepard-which/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I wouldn't be surprised if history records Tim Berners-Lee as the second Gutenberg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-wouldn-t-be-surprised-if-history-records-tim-berners-lee-as-the/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Maintain a firm grasp of the obvious at all times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/maintain-a-firm-grasp-of-the-obvious-at-all-times/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) [Explore all 275 Jeff Bezos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) ## More Appliances quotes > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you want a reliable tip, drive into a town, go to the nearest appliance store and seek out the dishwasher repair man. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-q-miller/if-you-want-a-reliable-tip-drive-into-a-town-go-to-the-nearest/) [Bryan Q. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-q-miller/) > [The wonderful world of home appliances now makes it possible to cook indoors with charcoal and outdoors with gas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/the-wonderful-world-of-home-appliances-now-makes-it-possible-to-cook/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [Developed and benefited from the unsustainable patterns of production and consumption which have produced our present dilemma. It is clear that current lifestyles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/developed-and-benefited-from-the-unsustainable-patterns-of-production/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [If you have 50 different plug types, appliances wouldn't be available and would be very expensive. But once an electric outlet becomes standardized, many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-have-50-different-plug-types-appliances-wouldn-t-be-available/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Mix salt and sand, and it shall puzzle the wisest of men, with his mere natural appliances, to separate all the grains of sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/mix-salt-and-sand-and-it-shall-puzzle-the-wisest-of-men-with-his-mere/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [They don't make poles long enough for me want to touch Microsoft products, and I don't want any mass-marketed game-playing device or Windows appliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/they-don-t-make-poles-long-enough-for-me-want-to-touch-microsoft/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [There will soon be streams of data coming from all manner of products - appliances, clothing, sporting goods, you name it. Wouldn't you rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/there-will-soon-be-streams-of-data-coming-from-all-manner-of-products/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [As homeowners see the value of their homes decline, they become more likely to delay purchases of the big items - like automobiles, electronics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/as-homeowners-see-the-value-of-their-homes-decline-they-become-more/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Everything has a trend to it; I don't care if it's appliances or engines. I always ask: What has a company done in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-drexler/everything-has-a-trend-to-it-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-appliances-or/) [Millard Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-drexler/) > [Even one's own home is a kind of anthology of advertisers, manufacturers, motifs and presentation techniques. There's nothing 'natural' about one's home these days.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/even-one-s-own-home-is-a-kind-of-anthology-of-advertisers/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [I don't know how to use appliances. I mean, I use the coffee maker. But that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-eisenman/i-don-t-know-how-to-use-appliances-i-mean-i-use-the-coffee-maker-but/) [Peter Eisenman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-eisenman/) > [Be patient, if thou wouldst thy ends accomplish; for like patience is there no appliance effective of success, producing certainly abundant fruit of actions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-bharavi/be-patient-if-thou-wouldst-thy-ends-accomplish-for-like-patience-is/) [J. K. Bharavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-bharavi/) > [I know a whole generation has been raised on the notion of multiculturalism; that all civilizations are just different. No! Not always. Sometimes things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-know-a-whole-generation-has-been-raised-on-the-notion-of/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“The body, I have often thought, is like a promise. You keep things in it. Those things are covert, immediate, yours. There is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bradfield/the-body-i-have-often-thought-is-like-a-promise-you-keep-things-in-it/) [Scott Bradfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bradfield/) [Browse all 114 Appliances quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appliances/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The killer app that got the world ready for appliances was the light bulb. So the light bulb is what wired the world. And they weren't thinking about appliances when they wired the world. They were really thinking about - they weren't putting electricity into the home. 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