STEFANO BOSCUTTI - An ice story

A hundred and thirty years ago the only cooling method people had was ice.

Men known as ice cutters would go out into the woods and out onto frozen lakes, saw ice by hand, haul it to an ice house where it would be stored and then delivered by hand to those lucky enough to afford an icebox. In the 1880s, New York City had more than 1,500 ice delivery wagons and Americans consumed over 5 million tons of ice annually.

When Jurgen Hans invented the first ice machine in 1900 he went to the ice cutters to invest. ‘Look,’ he said. ‘We can turn the ice house into an ice factory. No more ice cutting and hauling. As much ice as you want whenever you want it at a flick of a switch.’ Of course they turned him down. They didn’t want a bar of it. Invent a sharper ice-cutting saw, they said. Within ten years there were no more ice cutters. All the domestic ice was produced in ice factories.

In 1918 Kelvinator introduced the first domestic refrigerator with automatic control. The company went to the ice factories to invest. ‘Look,’ the company said. ‘We can make the ice factory redundant. No more making and delivering ice. As much ice as people want in their home whenever they want it. Automatically.’ Of course they turned him down. They didn’t want a bar of it. Invent a faster delivery truck, they said. Within ten years there were no more domestic ice factories. All the ice was produced in the home. 

Whoever creates the new category turns the existing category into a redundant category. That quickly becomes a bankrupt category. Then eventually a historical artefact.

So what new category are you creating?