Struck dead at 4 mph - Blue Ocean Strategy

Struck dead at 4 mph - Blue Ocean Strategy

In one of her most recent pop chart hits Madonna sings “Time goes by so slowly,” but we’re not too sure that she had Innovation in mind when she set down the words to this song. We recently researched a story about the first woman to be killed by an automobile, which, in a tragic-comic way illustrates the unimaginable pace of progress, due to Innovation.

The excerpt reads:

On August 17, 1896, in London, Bridget Driscoll, age 45, became an early car accident fatality as crossed the grounds of the Crystal Palace (London), an automobile struck her at a speed witnesses described as "a reckless pace, in fact, like a fire engine.

Ironically, the car which was observed to be speeding out of control was only traveling at 4 Mph, which is no more than a pedestrian’s pace. Yet at that time, this still seemed recklessly fast. And, the official investigation report proclaimed the hope that no such accidents would ever happen again.

As this story poignantly illustrates, we have come a long way indeed. To get a quick overview of the rapid advance of the auto industry from a blue ocean perspective, visit pages 193-197 of the Blue Ocean Strategy book. Do you have a humorous story which exemplifies the rapid pace of progress owing to Innovation? Share it with us for possible inclusion in upcoming entries.