Has the Tech Ecosystem Stifled Innovation?

Reflecting on walled gardens, proprietary standards, and the lack of cooperation between tech products

What is the value of everything being connected? It’s a fair question to ask when looking at today’s tech landscape. It seems that every product is made to be a part of a chain of products that incentivize you to buy more products. The tech manufacturers call it the ecosystem. That their range of products is better together. And we have bought into it. When someone buys a new iPhone there is a good chance that person will end up buying an Apple Watch and AirPods as well. Why? Because Apple has marketed the ecosystem as the key to unlocking the true potential of its products. But where does this leave a good product that is not a part of the vaunted ecosystem?

The Appeal of the Ecosystem

It is easy to understand why products working together are desirable. Being able to hand off files and responsibilities from one device to another feels magical. The ability to have a song playing on your phone and then being able to send it to your smart speaker simply feels like the future. Being able to take the photo album on an iPhone and AirDrop…