Too many times the plot is shown in a general mode - but for real products the plot MUST place numbers on the time axis. For a smartphone the time scale is in months, for an MRI machine it is probably in 8 to 10 years, for a refrigerator it is probably in 2 to 3 years. The importance is that it is how we know how much time we have to prepare the next product that will keep the curve growing. Usually the time is when the business optimization segment begins. For smartphone, it is most likely that when they launch say iPhone 10, iPhone 11 is almost complete due to the short time. For an MRI, the time to be prepared with next generation is about at same point, but it means you may have 6 to 7 years to develop it. When dealing with products like smartphones, I tell my students that you have to wake up before you went to sleep. For a product like an MRI, you can probably take few weekends off.
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