Adapt or die: Tech titans must build ecosystems of software and hardware to avoid fate of dinosaurs

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Millions of years since the sun set on the age of the dinosaurs, the data that connects why tech titans fall sing a similar tune - if they do not adapt or disrupt themselves, someone eventually will. Photo: SCMP Pictures.

Published: 2:45pm, 9 Dec 2015Updated: 2:48pm, 9 Dec 2015

An asteroid did not kill the dinosaurs, because the dinosaurs murdered themselves first.

Their journey to extinction begun with the violent volcanic eruptions off the coast of India, triggering the massive storms and temperature changes that enveloped the planet.

These magnificent beasts started dying out in the aftermath of climate change, with their final coup de grace capped by the asteroid’s impact off modern day Mexico. The nail in the coffin for these magnificent beasts was their inability to adapt to a dynamic environment.

Adapt or die - this phenomenon is not just applicable to the dinosaurs, but can also be applied to corporations and people.

Today, technology has been the great disruptor and equaliser in the re-distribution of power and longevity for services, products, and accessibility.

Facebook may not be worth its weight in years, but it’s worth around US$299 billion - a valuation that is much larger than traditional titans. Even at US$19.35 billion, Twitter has a larger market cap than The New York Times (US$2.2 billion), Burberry ($5.93 billion), and Tiffany & Co ($10.62 billion) combined.