Losing The Signal by Jacquie McNis Summary
Overview of Losing The Signal
Witness BlackBerry's meteoric rise and dramatic fall in this award-winning business saga. From controlling half the US smartphone market to being blindsided by Apple, this FT/McKinsey-shortlisted narrative reveals how tech titans can collapse when innovation stalls and market signals are missed.
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Key takeaways
The Birth of a Digital Addiction
In the early 2000s, a small Canadian device became so addictive that Intel chairman Andy Grove suggested it "should be reported to the DEA." The BlackBerry transformed how we communicated, blurring the boundaries between work and personal life. When Oprah Winfrey declared on her show that it had "literally changed my life," BlackBerry transcended business tools to become a cultural phenomenon. Behind this revolution were two brilliant but flawed leaders with complementary skills: Mike Lazaridis, a technical genius who taught himself electronics from "The Boy Electrician" in his Windsor basement, and Jim Balsillie, a fiercely ambitious businessman who had mapped his path to Canada's business elite by age twelve. Their partnership began in 1992 when Balsillie, after being excluded from an acquisition deal, investigated RIM-though not before Lazaridis's fiancee warned that Balsillie was "a shark." Together, they created a device that delivered what one early adopter would "pay anything" for: freedom from the nightly hotel ritual of catching up on emails, replaced by the ability to process messages during downtime.
Guerrilla Marketing: The $5 Million Revolution
Outmaneuvering Giants: Strategic Chess
Growing Pains: Success Threatens Stability
The Perfect Storm: Legal Battles and the iPhone
The Storm Disaster: Racing Against Reality
The Final Chapter: Division and Decline
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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