Ben Wilson

Even before Pearl Harbor, Land sees what's coming and moves the company to wartime footing and starts manufacturing war equipment. He immediately starts experimenting with products that could be of use to the American military. An employee from this time says of Land, the man is a whirlwind. He has about three ideas a minute and about two of them managed to get tried and tested.

Even before Pearl Harbor, Land sees what's coming and moves the company to wartime footing and starts manufacturing war equipment. He immediately starts experimenting with products that could be of use to the American military. An employee from this time says of Land, the man is a whirlwind. He has about three ideas a minute and about two of them managed to get tried and tested.

Okay, so he's just brimming with all these ideas of stuff that might be helpful to the war effort. And many of them turn out to not be very helpful at all. They're kind of impractical. But many others do turn out to be very helpful. The biggest innovation are these goggles for anti-aircraft gunners.

Okay, so he's just brimming with all these ideas of stuff that might be helpful to the war effort. And many of them turn out to not be very helpful at all. They're kind of impractical. But many others do turn out to be very helpful. The biggest innovation are these goggles for anti-aircraft gunners.

So imagine you're on an anti-aircraft gun and you're trying to shoot down German planes flying over London. And you're blasting away when all of a sudden they fly right next to the sun. And now you're looking up and you're blinded and you have to stop shooting. And this actually was a major tactic for World War II pilots to attack with the sun behind you to blind your opponent.

So imagine you're on an anti-aircraft gun and you're trying to shoot down German planes flying over London. And you're blasting away when all of a sudden they fly right next to the sun. And now you're looking up and you're blinded and you have to stop shooting. And this actually was a major tactic for World War II pilots to attack with the sun behind you to blind your opponent.

Well, land comes up with these goggles that have adjustable polarization so that if you're shooting at a plane that is next to the sun, you can turn a knob, get polarization, and continue tracking the enemy aircraft right next to the sun. And so this is super helpful to the British during the Blitz and especially their anti-aircraft gunners.

Well, land comes up with these goggles that have adjustable polarization so that if you're shooting at a plane that is next to the sun, you can turn a knob, get polarization, and continue tracking the enemy aircraft right next to the sun. And so this is super helpful to the British during the Blitz and especially their anti-aircraft gunners.

And this is the kind of thing that is, you know, you'd expect that from land, right? He's working on polarization, polarized goggles, makes a lot of sense. But he's also working on stuff that you would not expect at all. He helps oversee the development of synthetic quinine, an important anti-malarial drug for troops fighting in tropical areas, and the development of heat homing bombs.

And this is the kind of thing that is, you know, you'd expect that from land, right? He's working on polarization, polarized goggles, makes a lot of sense. But he's also working on stuff that you would not expect at all. He helps oversee the development of synthetic quinine, an important anti-malarial drug for troops fighting in tropical areas, and the development of heat homing bombs.

Okay, these are bombs that use heat to find their target and blow them up. So he's developing all this stuff. It's not just polarized goggles. They have lots of other polarized stuff and small inventions that they're producing manufacturing. World War II is a huge boon for Polaroid. They revenue more than 10Xs, but they don't make any more profit than they were before.

Okay, these are bombs that use heat to find their target and blow them up. So he's developing all this stuff. It's not just polarized goggles. They have lots of other polarized stuff and small inventions that they're producing manufacturing. World War II is a huge boon for Polaroid. They revenue more than 10Xs, but they don't make any more profit than they were before.

Land kept profit capped during World War II because he was a patriot. He wanted to help the allies win the war, and he recoiled at the idea of being a war profiteer. And for that same reason, he lets all their wartime contracts expire at the end of the war. Polaroid, if they had wanted to, could have become a major government contractor.

Land kept profit capped during World War II because he was a patriot. He wanted to help the allies win the war, and he recoiled at the idea of being a war profiteer. And for that same reason, he lets all their wartime contracts expire at the end of the war. Polaroid, if they had wanted to, could have become a major government contractor.

They could have kept the revenue going, you know, because the Cold War starts basically right after World War II. But he was personally opposed to making money off war during peacetime. And he didn't see that as part of his long-term vision for himself or for Polaroid.

They could have kept the revenue going, you know, because the Cold War starts basically right after World War II. But he was personally opposed to making money off war during peacetime. And he didn't see that as part of his long-term vision for himself or for Polaroid.

And look, Polaroid, I mean, they could have done this and stayed a very profitable company and been a very successful government contractor. It manufactured all sorts of things for the American military during the Cold War. But look, Polaroid would have missed its destiny as the instant photography giant that it eventually became if land had become a government contractor.

And look, Polaroid, I mean, they could have done this and stayed a very profitable company and been a very successful government contractor. It manufactured all sorts of things for the American military during the Cold War. But look, Polaroid would have missed its destiny as the instant photography giant that it eventually became if land had become a government contractor.

I think this speaks to the importance of consistency of vision. and not being distracted by other opportunities, even if they're good opportunities. It reminds me of Julius Caesar when he returns from Spain and has an opportunity to celebrate a triumph, which is a huge honor for any Roman.

I think this speaks to the importance of consistency of vision. and not being distracted by other opportunities, even if they're good opportunities. It reminds me of Julius Caesar when he returns from Spain and has an opportunity to celebrate a triumph, which is a huge honor for any Roman.