Clayton Christensen Responds to New Yorker Takedown of 'Disruptive Innovation'(businessweek.com)
businessweek.com
Clayton Christensen Responds to New Yorker Takedown of 'Disruptive Innovation'
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-20/clayton-christensen-responds-to-new-yorker-takedown-of-disruptive-innovation#p1
4 comments
I think it's fair to say that you can't trade securities on his strategy. (He failed at it too) This is actually true of most business strategy. It's soft, and not actually scientific and predictive. Ironically, some strategists couldn't even keep strategy firms open. (Look at Michael Porter) Does this mean strategy should be ignored? No, but bold claims should be taken with a grain of salt. Hindsight to create cases and write books is 20/20.
The thing about the disruption is that it wouldn't happen if it were predictable. (If it were predictable, the companies would have done something different, and they wouldn't have been disrupted.)
So, while predictions can be made, it won't necessarily pan out that they actually occur. The disruption is normally only really apparent in hindsight.
In any case, the companies concerned were honestly trying to do their best, not their worst.
So, while predictions can be made, it won't necessarily pan out that they actually occur. The disruption is normally only really apparent in hindsight.
In any case, the companies concerned were honestly trying to do their best, not their worst.
I didn't give this article much weight -- Bennett called up Christensen on the telephone and got an emotional, ad-hoc response. This isn't a well thought out, polished, official response from Christensen. Hopefully we'll see one later on.
I had to step back and think of examples that would qualify for what Christensen is talking about. I think I found a few, so I can't take Lepore's piece at face value.
I had to step back and think of examples that would qualify for what Christensen is talking about. I think I found a few, so I can't take Lepore's piece at face value.
This rebuttal certainly makes me more inclined to believe the takedown piece. Disruption obviously happens but Christensen has made me less likely to believe he has any ability to predict when it is going to happen or why, or that he has anything useful to say about it.
This comment from page three is interesting: "[Disruption] has never happened in the hotel industry, for example."
http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html