Why the way we connect is radically different from ten years ago

Perhaps one of the most defining moments in recent tech history occurred in 2013 when Microsoft bought Nokia. Once the world’s biggest phone maker, the Finnish business was ambushed by Apple, and there was little left for then-CEO Stephen Elop to do than admit defeat. Breaking down before the media during the announcement, he admitted, “We didn’t do anything wrong – but somehow we lost”.

Exponential’s Tyler Greer

However, according to Tyler Greer, the director of global sales strategy at advertising intelligence experts Exponential, Elop did do something very wrong. “He failed to design his way out of a catastrophe called Apple, which better understood design,” he points out. “They understood what the needs of the time were and created a beautiful interface and tools that matched human behaviour. Nokia got wiped off the face of the earth.”