BlackBerry's defining moves.
The defining strategic moves at BlackBerry — each one explained and grounded in the record.
The Cannibalization Choice · Decision Forks
BlackBerry Saw the Touchscreen Coming. Its Own Boardroom Is What Killed It.
The legend says BlackBerry loved its keyboard to death. But Lazaridis privately warned staff they were 'competing with a Mac, not a Nokia.' The keyboard wasn't the anchor - a co-CEO civil war that turned a $5.8B loss into a foregone conclusion was.
8 min
The Fall · Decision Forks
BlackBerry Didn't Lose Because It Mocked the iPhone. It Lost Because It Couldn't Decide Anything.
RIM held 43% of the US smartphone market in 2010 and earned $2.46 billion in net income. Three years later it took a $934 million charge against unsold phones. The killer wasn't arrogance—it was a model that sold hardware-plus-subscription into a world that had moved to apps, run by two CEOs who could agree on nothing fast.
8 min