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On Being Disruptive

September 14, 2006  |  from ACCAbuzz

Authors Scott D. Anthony and Claytom M. Christensen, writing for Forbes.com, have an innovative approach to innovation. They call it “disruptive innovation” and it essentially means two things: thinking outside the box and thinking like a customer. They posit that “Customers don’t really buy products; they hire them to get ‘jobs’ done in their life.” Accordingly, the first of the five principles of disruptive innovation is to find jobs people want done but they can’t do easily or affordably. In other words, the frustrated customer. That’s what Intuit did before it came out with Quickbooks accounting software. It solved a problem for small-business owners who found big-name accounting programs ungainly for their businesses. Intuit filled the gap with a simple, easy-to-use program.

Another is to abandon the search for perfection and go for “good enough.” Kodak’s disposable cameras are a case in point here. The photo quality may not be as good as their high-end cameras produce, but people want snapshots while they are on vacation, not professional portraits. An interesting approach to growing your business. It requires some creativity, but so does everything else that moves your business along!

Filed: Best-Practices Outside-The-Box Strategy