How the Walkman, Game Boy, Liquid Death, and Pokemon Became Surprise Hits

In 1979, Kozo Ohsone, a Sony engineer, introduced a miniaturized stereo cassette deck with headphones, allowing personal music enjoyment without disturbing others. Despite his innovation, he faced skepticism from colleagues who believed public headphone use was absurd and from his boss, who doubted the market for a non-recording tape deck. Ohsone's creation ultimately transformed how people experienced music, paving the way for future portable audio devices.

"In 1979, an unknown Sony engineer by the name of Kozo Ohsone unveiled a miniaturized stereo cassette deck with headphones that let anyone listen to music anywhere, without bothering anyone."

"His colleagues told him it was ridiculous—no one would be caught dead wearing headphones in public. His boss told him no one would buy a tape deck that couldn't record."

Read at Harvard Business Review