In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Steven Sasson who invented the digital camera while working at Kodak, earning him The National Medal of Technology and Innovation award. Steven Sasson shares the story of how digital photography came to be, the many inventions that made it more accessible to eventually take the place of film photography. Steven Sasson also talks about the support for the invention at Kodak and the many cultural and leadership challenges that got in the way of Kodak taking full advantage of the technology.
Some highlights:
- Steven Sasson’s love for tinkering with technology
- Why Steven Sasson chose to work at Kodak
- Conceptualizing and envisioning the first handheld electronic camera
- The first image taken with the first prototype of the portable digital camera
- Kodak’s initial reaction to Steven Sasson’s invention and questions for the future of digital technology
- How the support and belief of Steven Sasson’s supervisor motivated him to push his idea forward despite doubts from Kodak executives
- Why Steven Sasson’s project was kept secret by Kodak for many years
- The story behind ECAM, the first operational DSLR camera
- The story behind QuickTake 100, Kodak’s collaboration with Apple
- Cultural and leadership challenges preventing Kodak from being able to take full advantage of digital photography
- How internal struggles, and short-sighted decisions impacted Kodak
- Steven Sasson’s experience receiving The National Medal of Technology and Innovation award from President Barack Obama in 2009
Mentioned:
Don Reinertsen, author
Gareth Lloyd, former supervisor at Kodak
Jim Sheckler, former technician at Kodak
Gilda Radner, actress and comedian
Joy Marshall, former laboratory technician at Kodak
Steve Jobs, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Apple
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
Dr. Majid Rabbani, former fellow at Kodak
Dr. Brad Paxton, former director at Kodak
Robert Hills, co-inventor of the first DSLR camera
Jim McGarvey, former lead engineer at Kodak
George M. C. Fisher, former CEO of Kodak
Daniel Allen Carp, former chairman and CEO of Kodak
Antonio M. Pérez, former CEO of Kodak
Barack Obama, 44th U.S. President
Pete Souza, former Chief Official White House Photographer
Connect with Steven Sasson:
Steven Sasson on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-sasson-5b23783/)
Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:
Mahan Tavakoli Website (https://mahantavakoli.com/)
Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahan/)
Partnering Leadership Website (https://www.partneringleadership.com/)
