Dominant Design
lTechnology-based industries tend to be characterized by a dominant design.
lDominant Design……
nA range of basic choices about a design that are not revisited in every subsequent design
–Model T
–AC power system
–Quartz watches
–TCP/IP
–TV: PAL, SECAM, NTSC
A dominant design embodies the requirements of many classes of users though not optimizing any. They become what the product is. Nobody sells a PC on the strength of the fact that it has a DISK!

Factors other than technical superiority come into play.
Collateral assets: IBMs brand when it launched th ePC
Industry regulation and government intervention Adoption of RCAs standard for TV by the FCC
Strategic maneuvering by firms.
Lots of new firms -all learning & incorporating the designs. The more firms enter there’s more innovation. Few dominant firms emerge and innovation slows.
Emergence of a dominant design shifts the competitive advantage to the firms that are able to achieve skills in process innovation and integration.
Once there is a dominant design you see:
•Enforcement of standards
•Change in the pace of innovation

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is an exceedingly odd number-4 feet,wider 8.5 inches.
British built tramways from carriage jigs and they colonized the US. The jig size came from the Romans who built most major roads. Wheel spacing came from a roman chariot which was the width of two horses.

The important thing about a dominant design is to keep looking forward.
Think of Intel -the entire memory market all but 31 computer manufacturers in 1970 was concentrating on core. 7 including Intel AT&T and IBM were looking at semiconductor memory. Most were startups. Monitoring new firm formation a guide?