Human beings have made many technological leaps in our history. Most advancements were kicked off by “outside-the-box” thinking in the market. Finding different ways to more efficiently produce or transport goods creates a competitive advantage. This spurs other companies to try and compete, sparking innovation that otherwise might not have occurred at the time, creating positive change in the market, and stimulating technological growth. For example, the cotton gin was a technological advancement in the late 1700’s that allowed for the increased production of cotton, America’s main export (History, 2010). This, in turn, led to the first Industrial Revolution where new ways of processing and transporting large quantities of goods emerged out of necessity to keep up with increased supply and demand. This created a great deal of competition that allowed for the industrial growth of our country as well as other nations. This type of competition also tends to drive down prices and stabilize the economy. Similar competitive patterns can be seen over time including the 1920’s mass-production boom of the automotive industry, to the surge of personal computers in the 1980’s (Chandler, 2001). History shows that growth, competition, and innovation are the keys to human technological advancement. The same will hold true for firms in the future.