#160 BlackBerry's Business Story (29/06/2025)

This week I watched a movie called BlackBerry (2023), which is a documentary about the origin and decline of BlackBerry mobile phones.

For younger readers unfamiliar with BlackBerry phones, it was a very popular mobile phone in the 2000s until the iPhone appeared in 2007. It had a standard QWERTY keyboard below the screen, and it was very popular with many working professionals at the time because its keyboard symbolized being "busy with work," constantly checking emails while thinking about work, which indeed made work more convenient. Although I never used a BlackBerry phone, it was an extremely popular product of that era.

BlackBerry's beginnings are somewhat similar to Apple's. Both involved two partners (old friends) who were computer geeks, the kind of guys outsiders might consider "toxic." One was more "normal," while the other was the kind of slightly eccentric geek that women his age wouldn't talk to. BlackBerry's story is similar for them. In the 1990s, Mike and Doug were developing a mobile phone that could send and receive emails. They tried to sell it to some big companies, but no one paid them any attention. However, a senior executive named Jim saw their idea and decided to invest in them, on the condition that he become their CEO. The two friends agreed because they already knew they couldn't survive, so they had no choice but to let him take the reins. After Jim took over, he used his experience and connections in the business world to build the entire BlackBerry brand, making it one of the largest mobile phone brands in the industry and a world-renowned name within just 10 years. However, in 2007, the iPhone was launched, and consumers preferred phones with large touchscreens to phones with QWERTY keyboards. BlackBerry failed to keep up with this trend and was gradually eliminated from the market, eventually disappearing from the market altogether.

That concludes the story. There are a few things in the film that I felt were portrayed very well. The first is the relationship between Mike and Doug. They were once great friends who started a business together, but as the story progressed, they developed more and more differences, ultimately leading to a somewhat acrimonious breakup. Mike is someone who's more willing to take risks and try new things, someone who wants to do big things. Doug is a computer geek; he doesn't like bringing in so many administrative staff or doing so much to change their happy, small-team startup culture. This kind of thing actually happens all the time in history. Many times, two friends start a business together, but in the end, they might both break up unhappily; there are countless examples. So if you're considering starting a business, it's really best to do it alone. If you must have two people, you should have a clear division of responsibilities. You can also see something else: some people may be a good fit for a company at a certain stage, but when the company moves to another stage, if they cannot change or adapt to the changes, they may not be able to stay. This is one of the most painful but unavoidable decisions.

I am reminded of Yu Yuming's song "I Can Only Accompany You for a While," an excerpt of which is as follows:

// On a rainy spring night, my friend said goodbye, and I insisted on seeing him off to the station. In the end, he stopped me: "Even a thousand-mile journey must end eventually. You can only accompany me for a while anyway, so stop at the door." I respected his opinion.

Everyone is merely a fragment in someone else's life, destined to accompany them only for a short while. You love your parents and hope they live to a ripe old age, but no matter how filial you are, they will pass away before you; you can only accompany your parents for a short time. You love your children and dream of sheltering them from the storms of life, but no matter how great you are, you will one day pass away before them; you can only accompany your children for a short while. You have a devoted wife, but her first twenty-odd years belong to her parents, and the next few decades will be divided by her children and fate; you can only accompany your wife for a short while. You value the unwavering friendship between friends, but either your friends leave you, or you leave your friends; you can only accompany your friends for a short while…

Another point concerns BlackBerry's downfall. First, it shows that even the most powerful business giants can fall; nothing lasts forever. Second, it shows that if companies don't adapt to change and seize opportunities to absorb new things, they may ultimately be eliminated by the market. In the movie, BlackBerry's management, Mike and Jim, denied the iPhone's design would be successful, which, to some extent, represented a refusal to accept new things, ultimately leading to their elimination. This is something we should all be wary of, because it's so easy for people to fall into this trap.

I've been incredibly busy lately, and sometimes I feel exhausted. Even though I don't have investors or funding, and I have countless opportunities to work, once I'm in a position, I feel I want to do my job well. I'll keep working hard.