Did You Know? is a new mini-episode series, powered by the University of Nicosia and written by Michael Tyrimos, Managing Director of Capacitor Partners and Creator of the Future Talks Podcast. Through 30 episodes, we trace the rise of numerous technologies and industries, illustrating how they shaped economic path dependence to secure their place in the market. 

Let's dive into the first few episodes of this riveting journey.

Originating from a solution to reduce typewriter jams in the 1800s, the QWERTY keyboard, named after the first six keys on the top row, emerged as a savior. Even as typewriters made way for computers, the QWERTY layout, despite no longer needing to slow typing, remained steadfast. It's an example of path dependence, where historical happenstance can lock a product as a market standard, outliving even its original utility. 

Amidst several competing operating systems in the late 1970s, CP/M was a top contender. However, an unsuccessful negotiation between IBM and Digital Research paved the way for a newcomer - DOS. Microsoft, seizing the opportunity, reconfigured QDOS and licensed it to IBM. PC-DOS debuted with IBM PC in 1981, eventually evolving into MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. A tale underscoring the importance of seizing opportunities and strategic alliances. 

In the 1970s, Betamax and VHS went head-to-head as competing videotape standards. Although Betamax was technically superior, the longer recording time and cost-effectiveness of VHS led to its widespread adoption. A defining moment came when American football fans realized they could record entire games without changing VHS tapes. Despite Betamax's early popularity, practicality won, reminding us that market success often hinges on factors beyond technical excellence.

Join us, as we shed light on how historical events and strategic decisions can solidify a product or technology as a market standard, often creating an economic path dependence!