Clay Christensen on the Predictability of Digital Disruption
Ryan
Innovation guru and HBS professor Clay Christensen has become famous for his theories on disruption. The industries change but the problem remains the same. Specifically, he asks the question "what is the right way to respond when technology disrupts the position of an established business?" Neiman Journalism Lab's Joshua Benton posted a conversation (sound cloud included) he had with Christensen and other notables on the subject last week. The lessons apply across industries, but should be prescient for those of us in the content business.
One highlight:
CHRISTENSEN: Yeah, well, I’m proud but also sad to say that pretty much everything that we foresaw is happening. I think we didn’t quite understand, and still don’t really understand, how quickly things fall off the cliff. I think the reason why this happens is that, even as the disruption is getting more and more steam in the marketplace, the core business persists, and really quite profitable for a very long time. Then, when the disruption gets good enough to address the needs of your customers, very quickly, all of a sudden, you go off the cliff.
Full piece HERE