How companies innovate in an economic downturn

Companies Innovate in Economic Downturn | Money In :60 | GZERO Media

Betty Liu, Executive Vice Chairman for NYSE Group, explains:

What kind of unicorns could come out of this economic downturn?

So, that's an interesting question, because inevitably in any crisis, they're going to be new ideas to solve problems. Those new ideas will likely lead to new companies and those new companies will likely become unicorns, the next generation of unicorns. So, if you think about it, Uber was born during the last recession. If you go back a few more decades, Hewlett Packard was born during the Great Depression. General Motors was founded during a recession in 1908. There was one study that was very interesting, it found that back in 2009, more than half of the Fortune 500 companies were founded during a recession or a bear market.

How are existing companies adapting to the downturn?

So, this is a time when companies rise to the occasion to find ways, better ways to serve their customers. Take, for instance, a company like Dollar General. What they've done is they've implemented senior hours, earlier closing times, as well as limiting products in order to serve their customers better. And you can find examples like that across the spectrum, across the business landscape.

More from GZERO Media

US President Donald Trump pardons a turkey at the annual White House Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon in the Rose Garden in Washington, D.C., USA, on Nov. 25, 2025.
Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto

Although not all of our global readers celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s still good to remind ourselves that while the world offers plenty of fodder for doomscrolling and despair, there are still lots of things to be grateful for too.

Marine Le Pen, French member of parliament and parliamentary leader of the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party and Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party and member of the European Parliament, gesture during an RN political rally in Bordeaux, France, September 14, 2025.
REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Army Chief Asim Munir holds a microphone during his visit at the Tilla Field Firing Ranges (TFFR) to witness the Exercise Hammer Strike, a high-intensity field training exercise conducted by the Pakistan Army's Mangla Strike Corps, in Mangla, Pakistan, on May 1, 2025.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)/Handout via REUTERS

Field Marshal Asim Munir, the country’s de facto leader, consolidated his power after the National Assembly rammed through a controversial constitutional amendment this month that grants him lifelong immunity from any legal prosecution.