cover of episode The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff

The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff

2023/2/17
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Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
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Tim Harford: 本故事对比了Segway和Concertainer两个发明的不同命运，Segway技术精湛但商业化失败，Concertainer设计简单却用途广泛且商业成功。 Steve Kemper: Segway的发明者Dean Kamen认为Segway将深刻影响人们的生活方式，改变城市和思维方式。 Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, 其他投资者: 多位科技巨头和投资者对Segway给予了高度评价，认为它具有革命性意义，甚至会改变城市规划。 Dean Kamen: Dean Kamen将Segway定义为世界上第一款自平衡人类运输工具，其研发过程注重技术细节和完美，但忽视了市场调研和消费者需求。 Charles Gibson, John Heilerman: Charles Gibson和John Heilerman对Segway的实际体验评价很高，但并未改变Segway最终的市场表现。 Jimmy Heselden: Jimmy Heselden的事例说明了一个简单实用的发明，即使最初目标有限，也能在不同领域发挥巨大作用，并带来巨大的商业成功。 Sergeant David McGregor: Sergeant David McGregor的事例证明了Concertainer在战场上的实际价值和生命意义。 Dan Coyes: Dan Coyes认为Segway的过度炒作对其最终失败负有责任，并指出Segway解决了一个大多数人并不认为是问题的问题。 Tim Harford: 简单的发明往往更容易改变世界，Segway的失败和Concertainer的成功，体现了技术与市场的复杂关系，以及实用性与价值之间的平衡。

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The Segway was hyped as a revolutionary invention, with tech titans like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos predicting its impact. The invention process was shrouded in secrecy, leading to wild speculations before its reveal.

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Steve Jobs called It “the most amazing piece of technology since the PC.” According to Jeff Bezos It was not only “revolutionary,” but infinitely commercial. It was a fiendishly clever and massively hyped invention. But in the end It — also known as the Segway — was a failure.

What makes an invention useful and valuable? Jimi Heselden’s pragmatic brainchild the Concertainer might hold the answers. First used to shore up the collapsing walls of a canal, it ultimately solved problems that Jimi had never even imagined.

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