Why Russia is like Kodak

 

Recently I watched a documentary about Kodak and noticed some parallels with Russia. Many discissions Kodak executive made are similar to these Russian government does nowadays, just scaled down to their size and scope. Even very large corporations are much smaller than entire countries, their lifespan and impact on broader world is smaller as well. However, because of that they could serve as a model that emulates and predicts what will happen with other organizations in a similar situation.

Kodak actually invented digital camera, but its own management decided to bury the project and prevent it from seeing light of the day. A person who was behind this development later went to work for Apple and introduced digital camera with them instead.

In modern world digital cameras are ubiquitous and old film cameras are but 0.1% niche gimmick only few would bother with. From that perspective one can call decisions by Kodak executives to bury digital camera not only shortsighted but downright stupid. This decision turned a huge corporation with more than 90% market share into a bankrupt organization that is but shadow of its former self.

However, there is one little thing that explains why Kodak executives did what they did and that is money. Most of Kodak profits used to come from selling film for analogue cameras. A digital camera that does not need film would therefore jeopardize their profits. Sure, we now know that the future is with digital, Kodak executives probably knew that even back then. However, when it comes to a choice between profits now and being relevant somewhere down the line in future they choose the profits. Choose pretty much deliberately and with full understanding of the implications.

How all that relates to Russia. That is how: Just like Kodak executives' Russian leadership deliberately priorities their corrupt gains over the country future. They fully understand that their decisions condemn the country to a complete collapse in eventual future. However, they do not care that Russia falls sometime after they have plundered it and then retired with their ill-gotten gains to French Riviera or Chelsea borough of London.

Parallels do not end there. Just like Kodak shut down its digital camera project, Russian government shuts down any attempts to democratize the country, they kill whistleblowers as well. Just like with Kodak the only way forward is to leave the sinking ship and offer your ideas elsewhere.

That is not all. As surprising as its sounds back in the days in 18th century Russia actually was an innovative country where many exiles from Western Europe made name and fortune for themselves. Together they expanded once backward country on the edge of Europe into a huge superpower. Then in 19th century next generation of Russian rulers have forgotten these important lessons from its own very recent history. In 20th Lenin erased all remaining vestiges of the past as he attempted to modernize the country. 

Nowadays people think Russia always was big and important even if just 300 years ago it was much smaller and less significant than all three of its neighbors: Ottoman Empire, Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden. 400 years ago, Russia almost ceased to exist.