innovation understanding the field jay rao associate professor babson previous business fad is new most firms die mortality very high average life expectancy of all regardless size measured in japan and much europe only 12 5 years span a multinational organization fortune 500 or equivalent around 45 one third companies listed 1970 for example had disappeared by 1983 acquired merged broken to pieces first s&p index 90 major us was created 1920s on that original list stayed there an 65 1998 tenure firm expanded 10 challenge creating sustaining growth are unable sustain above rate more than few 80 venture capital funded start ups fail 75 products launched established industry leadership lasts generation two generations if you lucky typewriters manual electric word processors pcs remington ibm wang microsoft intel computers mainframe minicomputers
