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The mothers of invention

After World War II, companies came up with dishwashers and clothes dryers to assist working women. After the SARS epidemic, Asian innovators made remote banking and buying easier. After the 2008 financial crisis, companies came up with the sharing economy, to make the most of stranded assets and an unemployed workforce. The lesson? Those who innovate through a crisis come out stronger.

History suggests that companies that invest in innovation through a crisis outperform peers during the recovery.
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To read the podcast transcript, see “Innovation—the launchpad out of the crisis,” September 15, 2021.