Guidelines for a product technology strategy

In 1917, the American Locomotive and Baldwin Locomotive companies were among the 100 largest corporations in America. This gave them all the advantages associated with companies that dominate their industries: scale, experience, established channels of distribution, solid reputations, and access to capital. Yet within 30 years, the combined market share of these two companies fell from nearly 100 to below 50 percent. Within 52 years, both were out of the locomotive business altogether, and neither company survives today.