nteraction

A New Kind of launch is becoming increasingly Important.

Once the market judges you as not ready
for prime time, achieving a second lift is

Disruption exceedingly hard.

HBR article by Larry The next iteration of this article requires

Downes and Paul F.
Nunes, March 2013
Not all disrupters
move gradually.
The rules of any
thinking about the pace of big-bang
disruption, which varies depending on the
degree to which the product or service
improvement is driven by physical, chemi-
cal, material, or intellectual properties
and how much customer behavioral

industry can be change or additional infrastructure sup-

port is required for market acceptance
changed by new (switching cost). For example, one would
forms of rapid expect Google Maps to explosively disrupt
purpose-built navigation units from Gar-
innovation, from min, but electric vehicles such as the Tesla
smartphone ncivigduiwii cij^pb to iviian Academy. They and the Leaf to be on a slower disruptive
can destroy mature product lines—and sometimes trajectory. This is not meant as an excuse
for some companies to bury their heads in
even markets—overnight. With no time to adapt, the sand, but a proper response should be
incumbents have to cope by relying on "truth tellers" cognizant of timing considerations.
to recognize warning signs. They must leverage Len Sherman, adjunct professor,
Columbia Business School
surviving assets elsewhere if they can, prepare for a fast
escape if they can't, and approach diversification The authors respond: At least one more
in new ways. factor strongly influences the pace of
change, and that is the degree of regula-
Did your research find a role for predictive Downes and Nunes respond: We tion ¡n the Incumbent's industry. The more
analytics or big data in helping you see definitely see a big role for analytics in highly regulated the Industry, the more ob-
big-bang disruption coming? Or do these helping to determine the right timing, stacles new entrants will encounter. At the
tools tend to be unhelpful? features, and price point for the offering same time, regulation can dlslncentlvlze
H. James Wilson, senior researcher, Babson Innovation, putting Incumbent companies
that wilt become a big bang. Predicting
Executive Education, and HBR blogger
and influencing market opinion before In highly regulated industries behind.

HBR article by Alison Beard, March 2013" we trying to prevent a collective loss for
The Silent Sex women. We just don't want the individual
loss—to another man o r t o a woman. I
If men are facing their "end," why personally know no men who lament a col-
aren't more of them talking about it? lective loss to the other gender in any part
of our lives—at least not out loud.
Jay Karen, president and CEO, Professional
The "plight" of men is unlike what women have experienced for eons. Women's
Association of Innkeepers International
struggles have always been both individual and collective. Sarah might be bet-
ter at the CEO job than Mike, but she's up against a glass ceiling in her company.
So she has an individual challenge. At the same time, she feels pressure and Men don't join the conversation now for
strength from the feminist movement to go for it—to score a W for women. the same reason that women didn't in the
Mike probably isn't thinking at all about his Y-chromosomed compatriots when 1950S. Back then, if a woman complained
he interviews for the job. Men are not trying to score for our gender, nor are about her sexist boss, the entire weight
JHH
20 Harvard Business Review May 2013
 HBR.ORG

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SEE WHAT'S NEXT BY BEING

Almost all the big-bang disruptions that
THE ONE WHO OREATES IT
are highlighted in the piece leverage a
single platform: the smartphone. That
open, adaptive, secure platform has made What's next in the world of business is
all the other disrupters—such as parking what happens every day at Stanford
apps and payment apps—possible. Estab-
lished players need to be on the lookout Graduate School of Business. Our
for such "platform disrupters," even if their Executive Education programs immerse
own products or services don't appear to
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stream disrupters (apps, in this case) and
focused on the future, so you gain the
failing to recognize platform disrupters
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are missing the woods for the trees.
Deepak Seth, senior architect, information
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With SO much of the business world
looking for new opportunities, big-bang
disrupters are going to come along at an
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innovation is the worst course an organi-
zation can take, because of the speed at
which information travels. Consider the
impact such tactics have had on Papa
John's, Staples, and other players that rely
on tricks. Those tricks are being disrupted
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
as well. Better to innovate. Executive Program in Leadership:
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for challenging real power. Now a new
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Visit stanfordexecutive.com
Samuel Armstrong, senior operations
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to learn more.
Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.
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