“Bigger than the internet.” Such was the (reported) prediction of venture capitalist John Doerr when the Segway – the original self balancing, electric, two wheeled scooter – first whirred silently onto the scene at the turn of the millennium.
In the strictly physical sense, Doerr was correct. Because, while the entire internet is estimated to weigh no more than 60g even now, the first Segway tipped the scales at a bulky 30-odd kilos. So, yes, physically bigger. In every other sense, however, Doerr was wrong. The Segway project was to prove a shipwreck.
Its aim was noble: to replace heavy, bulky passenger cars as a preferred means of urban transportation. Trouble was, when it came to getting around cities, humans already had many other convenient options: bicycles, scooters, legs. The…
