Reaching 50 million Users: The Journey of Internet and Non-Internet Products.

Centuries ago, it took over 75 years for an invention to reach 50,000,000 users. In recent times, some startups are achieving this milestone in a matter of days. Path’s relaunch saw the app hit 2,000,000 download in two months.

We’ve therefore decided to look at what has changed over the years, from the times of some of the very first technological inventions. From automobiles, to telephones, to airplanes. We compiled a list of some of these innovations and how long it took for them to reach 50,000,000 users.

From the chart above, it took telephone 75 years to hit 50,000,000 users, but Angry Bird did this in a space of 35 days. What are we learning? Technology is on the rise. After the dot.com boom, ushering us into the Information Age, internet innovation has seen a consistent ‘speed-rise’ in growth. Technology has grown with an enormous speed – the numbers tell.

It is of no surprise that the internet helps propel the diffusion of these inventions, even though diffusion in itself is a slow process. Unlike the telephone which had to see a lot of physical construction of support systems or infrastructure like cables etc. before it could be transmitted globally, the internet products have the electronic network already available which makes it easier to connecting and reaching the entire world.

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