Unseating Industry Giants through Disruptive Innovation

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The root of unseating industry giants lies in the ability of tiny upstarts to strategically approach the incumbent in a way that causes them to ignore or flee up market, providing the new entrant with the essential resource of time to build a strong foundation. This strategy, known as disruptive innovation, is different from sustaining innovation, which is crucial for the ongoing success of any business. Disruptive innovation is often overlooked by incumbents as it presents as products that may not be as good or appealing to their best customers, making it challenging for them to allocate resources towards it.

In 1995, the late and legendary Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen introduced his theory of “disruptive innovation” right here in the pages of the Harvard Business Review. The idea inspired a generation of entrepreneurs and businesses, ranging from small start-ups to global corporations.

Three decades later, debates have emerged around how the theory should be applied — especially within technology start-ups that have driven so much economic growth since 2000.

In this episode, Harvard Business Review editor Amy Bernstein and a panel of expert scholars discuss the legacy of disruptive innovation, and how the common perception of disruption has drifted away from its original meaning.

Expert guests include:

· Harvard Business School senior lecturer and director of the Forum for Growth and Innovation Derek van Bever

· Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath

· Harvard Business School professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Key episode topics include: strategy, competitive strategy, business history, disruptive innovation, Clay Christensen, innovator’s dilemma.

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