Creation through destruction.
We humans have a long history with the creation through destruction myth or meme. The idea of a Phoenix, the resurrection of Christ, Noah’s Ark, and so on, are all ways of describing an important transition: from tangible physical things to intangible ideas. In each case the destruction is a symbolic event that enables something – the idea – to live forever. It seems we cannot comprehend the notion of physical things lasting forever, so we stage elaborate destruction rituals to turn atoms into bits, thereby ensuring their immortality.
The most recent incarnation of this same myth that’s making its way around the tubes is the immortalization of the iPhone via things like: will it blend? or torture tests like the one PC World recently conducted.
The numbers attest to the popularity of this sport, Will it blend? has garnered almost 30,000 views of its iPhone destruction and almost a million views of its channel on YouTube. (A good dissection is here).
I think this helps to provide an analogy for why the translation of atoms to bits through the creation of services is such a powerful strategy. In a smaller way, it’s a way to extend both the lifespan and reach of a physical object. A way to turn a thing into an idea that can last far longer than the atoms ever could.