On Changing the World: The Siege of Tyre

The Siege of Tyre (332 BC) is a powerful piece of history. Whether you’re running a business, doing research or whatever, I hope it can be a source of inspiration and motivation.

The city of Tyre (modern-day Lebanon) was once an island city. It had a reputation of being impregnable because of its high fortress walls and a powerful navy.

During his famous campaigns, Alexander the Great needed to conquer the island as it was a stronghold of the Persian navy fleet. It was not an easy task. Negotiations with the Tyrians failed and attacking from the sea was very risky.

Therefore, Alexander decided to do something amazing: change the geography.

Macedonians spent months building a kilometre-long causeway stretching out to the island. This led to Alexander breaking through the fortress walls and finally capturing the city.

The siege of Tyre happened 2352 years ago.

Tyre has remained a peninsula instead of an island ever since.

This is a brutal example, but I like how it shows that one person’s determination can make a difference that will be seen for millennia to come.

I let this story be the introduction to my blog, where I will write about research. This blog is dedicated to whoever is interested in research, from product owners to UX designers. Whatever we work on, the role of a researcher always comes down to making a difference.

My best wishes to all who seek to change the world!