#264 The Story of Edwin Land and Polaroid

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Aug 24, 2022

Dive into the world of Edwin Land, the visionary behind Polaroid and the instant camera revolution. Explore his relentless innovation and artistic approach, drawing fascinating parallels to Steve Jobs and Apple. Discover how Land’s unique management style and bold marketing made Polaroid an aspirational brand. Delve into the challenges that ultimately led to its decline, revealing both the triumphs and tribulations of creating a lasting legacy in technology.

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ANECDOTE

Land and Jobs' Early Curiosity

Edwin Land displayed classic inventor traits from a young age, blowing fuses in his house at six.
He also disassembled household objects, mirroring Steve Jobs' early curiosity fostered by his father.

INSIGHT

Breadth and Depth

Land and Jobs valued breadth and depth of knowledge, seeking individuals with diverse skills.
They believed that combining expertise in different areas, like chemistry and music, fostered innovation.

ANECDOTE

Unconventional Talent Acquisition

To find untapped talent, Land partnered with an art history professor, similar to Henry Ford's approach.
This allowed him to recruit smart, aesthetically-minded Smith graduates, bypassing competition for male scientists.

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The Story of Polaroid

Christopher Bonanos

This book tells the remarkable story of Polaroid, from its origins during World War II to its rise as a technological and cultural icon. Written by Christopher Bonanos, it chronicles the life and work of Edwin Land, the inventor of instant photography, and the company's evolution through its innovative products, including the SX-70 camera. The book also explores Polaroid's interactions with famous artists like Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol, and its eventual decline in the face of digital photography. Bonanos' narrative is engaging and well-illustrated, capturing the essence of Polaroid's influence on photography and popular culture[2][4][5].

My Life in Advertising

Claude Hopkins

In 'My Life in Advertising,' Claude C. Hopkins shares his extensive experience and insights gained from over three decades in the advertising industry. The book is a blend of autobiography and practical guide, offering timeless principles on effective advertising. Hopkins emphasizes the importance of understanding the consumer, using specific and definite claims, and testing advertising strategies. He also discusses his methods for creating successful ad campaigns, including the use of free samples, the appeal of personalities over corporations, and the necessity of focusing on the consumer's needs rather than the advertiser's pride in their products. Despite being written in 1927, the book's principles remain relevant today, making it a valuable resource for anyone in the advertising and marketing fields.

The Tao of Charlie Munger

A Compilation of Quotes from Berkshire Hathaway's Vice Chairman on Life, Business, and the Pursuit of Wealth With Commentary by David Clark

David Clark

This book is a compendium of quotes from Charlie Munger, culled from interviews, speeches, and questions and answers at the Berkshire Hathaway and Wesco annual meetings. It offers insights into Munger’s remarkable financial success and life philosophies. Described by Business Insider as 'sharp in his wit and investing wisdom,' Munger’s investment tips, business philosophy, and rules for living are unique, intelligent, and successful. The book is structured similarly to The Tao of Warren Buffett and The Tao of Te Ching, with commentary by David Clark, coauthor of the Buffettology series.

Made in Japan : Akio Morita and Sony

Akio Morita

Mitsuko Shimomura

Edwin M. Reingold

This book narrates the story of Akio Morita's early life, the formation and success of Sony Corporation in the aftermath of Japan's defeat in World War II, and Morita's insights on business management, international trade, and cultural differences. It covers the development of iconic Sony products like the transistor radio and the Walkman, as well as Morita's perspectives on Japanese and American business practices and global economics. The book provides a unique blend of history, philosophy, and business management, offering valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and those interested in the Japanese way of doing business.

Becoming Steve Jobs

The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader

Brent Schlender

Rick Tetzeli

This book provides a rich and revealing account of Steve Jobs' life, drawing on exclusive access to his family, former inner circle executives, and top people at Apple, Pixar, and Disney. It humanizes Jobs by explaining his behavior and highlighting his growth from a brash founder to a mature and effective leader. The narrative includes stories never told before and offers a fresh perspective on Jobs' career, particularly his time at NeXT and Pixar, and his return to Apple. The authors, who had close relationships with Jobs, detail how he learned to trust his inner circle, became more patient, and developed a more mature management style, ultimately transforming the daily life of billions of people.

Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

Leander Kahney

This book offers a detailed portrait of Jony Ive, from his early days as an English art school student with dyslexia to his rise as the most acclaimed tech designer of his generation. Leander Kahney draws on interviews with Ive’s former colleagues and Apple insiders to provide insight into the creation of Apple's most iconic products. The book highlights Ive’s collaboration with Steve Jobs, their impact on reversing Apple’s decline, and how their designs have revolutionized modern technology and created a global fan base[2][3][4].

How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars

The Snapchat Story

Billy Gallagher

In 'How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars,' Billy Gallagher chronicles the improbable and exhilarating story of Snapchat's rise from a simple idea for disappearing pictures to a multi-billion dollar internet unicorn. The book delves into the company's founding, the epic feud between its founders, and the challenges it faced as it transitioned from a playful app to a major public company. Gallagher, with his unique access and insider perspective, offers insights into Snapchat's culture, its impact on the tech industry, and the visionary yet ruthless leadership of CEO Evan Spiegel.

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

This biography, based on more than 40 interviews with Steve Jobs and over 100 interviews with family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues, provides a riveting story of Jobs' roller-coaster life and intense personality. It highlights his passion for perfection, his ferocious drive, and how he revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. The book explores Jobs' contradictions, his 'reality distortion field,' and the lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values that can be drawn from his life and career.

What I learned from rereading Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos.

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(0:01) The most obvious parallel is to Apple Computer.

Both companies specialized in relentless, obsessive refinement of their technologies. Both were established close to great research universities to attract talent.

Both fetishized superior, elegant, covetable product design. And both companies exploded in size and wealth under an in-house visionary-godhead-inventor-genius.

At Apple, that man was Steve Jobs. At Polaroid, the genius was Edwin Land.

Just as Apple stories almost all lead back to Jobs, Polaroid lore always seems to focus on Land.

(1:22) Both men were college dropouts; both became as rich as anyone could ever wish to be; and both insisted that their inventions would change the fundamental nature of human interaction.

(1:37) Jobs expressed his deep admiration for Edwin Land. He called him a national treasure.

(3:12) All the podcasts on Edwin Land:

Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #263)

A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War by Ronald Fierstein (Founders #134)

Land's Polaroid: A Company and the Man Who Invented It by Peter C. Wensberg (Founders #133)

The Instant Image: Edwin Land and the Polaroid Experience by Mark Olshaker (Founders #132)

Insisting On The Impossible: The Life of Edwin Land and Instant: The Story of Polaroid (Founders #40)

(4:07) Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli

(5:51) Edwin Land of Polaroid talked about the intersection of the humanities and science. I like that intersection. There's something magical about that place. There are a lot of people innovating, and that's not the main distinction of my career. The reason Apple resonates with people is that there's a deep current of humanity in our innovation. I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the best people working on the original Mac were poets and musicians on the side. In the seventies computers became a way for people to express their creativity. Great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were also great at science. Michelangelo knew a lot about how to quarry stone, not just how to be a sculptor. — Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson (Founders #214)

(7:07) All the podcasts about Henry Ford:

I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford by Richard Snow (Founders #9)

The Autobiography of Henry Ford by Henry Ford (Founders #26)

Today and Tomorrow Henry Ford (Founders #80)

My Forty Years With Ford by Charles Sorensen (Founders #118)

The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's Ten Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn (Founders #190)

(9:16) Another parallel to Jobs: Land's control over his company was nearly absolute, and he exercised it to a degree that was compelling and sometimes exhausting.

(11:43) When you read a biography of Edwin land you see an incredibly smart, gifted, driven, focused person endure decade after decade of struggle. And more importantly —finally work his way through.

(13:32) Another parallel to Jobs: You may be noticing that none of this has anything to do with instant photography. Polarizers rather than pictures would define the first two decades of lands intellectual life and would establish his company. Instant photos were an idea that came later on, a secondary business around which his company was completely recreated.

(14:26) “Missionaires make better products.” —Jeff Bezos

(17:44) His letter to shareholders gradually became a particularly dramatic showcase for his language and his thinking. These letters-really more like personal mission statements-are thoughtful and compact, and just eccentric enough to be completely engaging. Instead of discussing earnings and growth they laid out Land's World inviting everyone to join.

(18:03) Land gave him a four-word job description: "Keeper of the language.”

(23:15) No argument in the world can ever compare with one dramatic demonstration. — My Life in Advertising by Claude Hopkins (Founders #170)

(27:00) The leap to Polaroid was like replacing a messenger on horseback with your first telephone.

(28:01) Hire a paid critic:

Norio Ohga, who had been a vocal arts student at the Tokyo University of Arts when he saw our first audio tape recorder back in 1950. I had had my eye on him for all those years because of his bold criticism of our first machine.

He was a great champion of the tape recorder, but he was severe with us because he didn't think our early machine was good enough. It had too much wow and flutter, he said. He was right, of course; our first machine was rather primitive. We invited him to be a paid critic even while he was still in school. His ideas were very challenging. He said then, "A ballet dancer needs a mirror to perfect her style, her technique.

— Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony by Akio Morita.

(32:13) Another parallel to Jobs: Don't kid yourself. Polaroid is a one man company.

(33:32) He argued there was no reason that well-designed, wellmade computers couldn't command the same market share and margins as a luxury automobile.

A BMW might get you to where you are going in the same way as a Chevy that costs half the price, but there will always be those who will pay for the better ride in the sexier car. Rather than competing with commodity PC makers like Dell, Compaq and Gateway, why not make only first-class products with high margins so that Apple could continue to develop even better first-class products?

The company could make much bigger profits from selling a $3,000 machine rather than a $500 machine, even if they sold fewer of them.

Why not, then, just concentrate on making the best $3,000 machines around? — Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products by Leander Kahney.

(37:51) How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story by Billy Gallagher

(45:00) All the podcasts about Enzo Ferrari

Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime. (Founders #97)

Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics, and The Making of an Automotive Empire by Luca Dal Monte (Founders #98)

Enzo Ferrari: The Man and The Machine by Brock Yates (Founders #220)

(45:08) Soul in the game. Listen to how Edwin Land describes his product:

We would not have known and have only just learned that a new kind of relationship between people in groups is brought into being by SX-70 when the members of a group are photographing and being photographed and sharing the photographs: it turns out that buried within us—

there is latent interest in each other; there is tenderness, curiosity, excitement, affection, companionability and humor; it turns out, in this cold world where man grows distant from man,

and even lovers can reach each other only briefly, that we have a yen for and a primordial competence for a quiet good-humored delight in each other:

we have a prehistoric tribal competence for a non-physical, non-emotional, non-sexual satisfaction in being partners in the lonely exploration of a onceempty planet.

(50:31) “Over the very long term, history shows that the chances of any business surviving in a manner agreeable to a company’s owners are slim at best.” —Charlie Munger

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