Losing The Signal audiobook cover - The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry

Losing The Signal

The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry

Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff

★ 3.7 / 5(11 ratings)
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Economics

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Losing The Signal
The Founders' Synergy+
The Rise of BlackBerry+
Defending the Market+
The Apple Disruption+
Internal Collapse+
Core Lessons+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10
What made Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis an ideal leadership pair for RIM in its early days?
  • A. They both had extensive backgrounds in applied physics and engineering.
  • B. Their differing skill sets created a perfect symbiosis of business management and technological know-how.
  • C. They shared a mutual passion for hunting, sports, and abstract intellectual pursuits.
  • D. They both previously worked at U.S. Robotics and brought valuable industry contacts.
Question 2 of 10
Why did RIM shift its focus from supplying radio modems to developing its own portable two-way communicator?
  • A. BellSouth demanded a new device in exchange for access to the Mobitex network.
  • B. Apple's early announcements forced RIM to pivot to mobile hardware.
  • C. An unreliable major customer made them realize they needed to diversify their product portfolio to survive.
  • D. The Canadian government offered massive subsidies for consumer electronics.
Question 3 of 10
What was the strategic reasoning behind naming the device 'BlackBerry'?
  • A. It was an acronym for the technical components used in the device's wireless radio.
  • B. It was chosen to sound like a natural, stress-reducing fruit to counter the high-stress nature of executive emails.
  • C. It was a tribute to the street in Waterloo, Canada, where RIM's first office was located.
  • D. The marketing team wanted a highly professional, work-related name to appeal to Chief Information Officers.
Question 4 of 10
How did RIM successfully establish the BlackBerry in the corporate market?
  • A. By selling directly to lower-level employees who then demanded the company pay for the devices.
  • B. By convincing key executives and Chief Information Officers of its utility, sparking a top-down chain reaction.
  • C. By offering the devices for free and only charging for the Mobitex network airtime.
  • D. By partnering exclusively with Apple to integrate BlackBerry email into early Mac computers.
Question 5 of 10
What was Jim Balsillie's true intention behind the 'BlackBerry Connect' project with companies like Nokia?
  • A. To transition RIM out of the hardware business entirely and focus only on software.
  • B. To generate massive licensing revenue to fund the development of the BlackBerry Storm.
  • C. To delay competitors from developing their own email services and networks while establishing the BlackBerry brand.
  • D. To pool resources with competitors in order to build a new data network that could rival AT&T.
Question 6 of 10
According to the text, how did the introduction of the iPhone fundamentally change consumer expectations in the mobile market?
  • A. It proved that consumers preferred physical keyboards over touch screens.
  • B. It established that mobile devices needed to be aesthetically pleasing, not just functional.
  • C. It demonstrated that enterprise security was the most important feature for average consumers.
  • D. It showed that battery life was more important than internet browsing capabilities.
Question 7 of 10
Why did RIM's first touchscreen device, the Storm, fail in the market?
  • A. It was rushed to market in nine months to compete with the iPhone and was plagued by software bugs.
  • B. It was priced too high for the average consumer to afford.
  • C. It lacked a color screen, making it look outdated compared to the iPhone.
  • D. Apple sued RIM for patent infringement, forcing them to pull the Storm from shelves.
Question 8 of 10
What was a major functional flaw of RIM's tablet, the PlayBook?
  • A. It was programmed in an outdated version of Java that couldn't run modern applications.
  • B. It lacked a built-in internet browser, restricting users to offline applications.
  • C. It did not have native BlackBerry email installed and required a clunky 'bridge' connection to a smartphone.
  • D. It was too heavy and fragile compared to the iPad.
Question 9 of 10
What specific event first jeopardized the relationship and trust between co-CEOs Balsillie and Lazaridis?
  • A. Lazaridis's decision to switch the company's software coding language to C++.
  • B. Balsillie's failure to inform shareholders about the practice of backdating stocks.
  • C. Balsillie secretly selling RIM's hardware patents to Nokia.
  • D. A public argument over whether to target business executives or everyday consumers.
Question 10 of 10
What is the overarching lesson from the fall of RIM and Kodak as described in the text?
  • A. Companies must continually adapt to changing markets and competitors, or they will fail.
  • B. Hardware companies should never try to develop their own software.
  • C. Co-CEOs are inherently less effective than a single strong leader.
  • D. Consumer markets are less profitable than enterprise and corporate markets.

Losing The Signal — Full Chapter Overview

Losing The Signal Summary & Overview

Losing the Signal (2015) tells the story of Research in Motion, the company that created the BlackBerry. Beginning with RIM’s time as a minor contender in wireless communication in the mid-1990s, it takes us through its triumph as the most influential player in the wireless communication devices market in the mid-2000s, and reveals why RIM sank as rapidly as it rose.

Who Should Listen to Losing The Signal?

  • Entrepreneurs
  • Business leaders
  • Anyone interested in technology

About the Author: Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff

Jacquie McNish is a best-selling author and senior correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. Sean Silcoff, a reporter for The Globe and Mail, is an award-winning business writer.

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