Before MP3s we listened to CDs. Cassette tapes and vinyl records before that. And if you go way back — like to Edison — it was wax cylinders and the phonautograph.
Want to know what 1880 sounded like? It’s trapped in grooves and antique tubes. We’ve been working on recovering warehouses of audio history for years. And for years, progress was governed by one rule: You can’t go faster than the length of the recording.
But what if you could remove time entirely?
Meet Carl Haber. Rather than relying on playback, he photographed the topography of the record and used math to translate the patterns into sound. Hours of audio captured in a camera flash. Bam!
The lesson?
Linear innovation will only get you as far as your governing rules. To truly move the needle, you have to rethink your rules.
That’s when revolutions become possible.
Until next time,
Andrew
P.S. What other non-linear innovations can you think of? I’ve always wanted to make a list.
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P.P.P.S. These don’t count towards my 150-word limit!