Navigating Disruptive Innovation

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Disruption rarely looks like disruption when it begins. In his new book Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World, Scott D. Anthony—ranked by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s leading innovation thinkers—uncovers the stories of 11 breakthroughs that reshaped the modern world. From the transistor radio to AI, from McDonald’s business model to cryptocurrency, he shows how innovation unfolds in surprising, nonlinear ways.

In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., Scott explains why disruption often takes far longer than we expect, what leaders can learn from past “failures” like Google Glass, and how incumbents can overcome the barriers that keep them from investing in transformative change.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why disruption usually takes decades, not years—and why patience matters
• How unexpected figures—from Julia Child to McDonald’s—played surprising roles in innovation
• What makes some technologies “sleeping giants” rather than failures
• The recurring patterns that connect historical breakthroughs to today’s AI revolution
• How leaders can balance operational demands with disruptive bets

Links & Resources:

• Scott’s book: Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World (Little, Brown Spark, Sept 2025)
• Learn more about Scott’s work: Scott D. Anthony at Tuck
• Follow Scott on LinkedIn