Kodak

 Remember Kodak? In 1997, it had about 160,000 employees, and 85% of the world’s photography relied on Kodak cameras. Yet, with the rise of mobile phone cameras, Kodak failed to adapt, went bankrupt, and its workforce was let go.

The same fate befell other once-iconic brands. These companies didn’t fail due to poor quality but because they couldn’t evolve with changing times.

Standing in the present, it’s hard to imagine how much the world will change in the next decade. Yet, 70-90% of today’s jobs may vanish within the next 10 years as we enter the "Fourth Industrial Revolution."

Consider today’s leading companies:

Uber is the world’s largest taxi service, yet it owns no cars.

Airbnb is the world’s largest accommodation provider, yet it owns no hotels.

Similar examples include Paytm, Ola, and Oyo, showing how software and platforms are reshaping industries.

In the U.S., new lawyers struggle to find work because legal software like IBM Watson can perform legal analysis better and faster. By 2030, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to surpass human intelligence, impacting professions across the board.

In healthcare, AI tools like Watson already detect cancer and other diseases more accurately than doctors. The role of traditional practitioners is shrinking.

In transportation, 90% of cars on today’s roads may disappear within 20 years. Most vehicles will be electric or hybrid, and autonomous (driverless) cars will dominate. Owning a car may become unnecessary as software like Uber provides on-demand vehicles. Sharing rides will make transportation cheaper than owning a bike.

Driverless technology will reduce accidents by 99%, leading to the collapse of car insurance companies. Traffic police and parking staff will no longer be needed when roads are empty of human-driven vehicles.

The demand for oil will plummet, potentially bankrupting oil-producing nations.

The world is changing rapidly, and survival depends on our ability to adapt and innovate. Those who fail to evolve risk being left behind in this era of transformation.