Digital Disruption

Today’s Innovators

New competitors with innovative ideas have always disrupted old industries. That disruption used to require years and enormous capital. Now it can be quick and cheap.

Today’s innovators disrupt industries using free, widely available technological tools to gain rapid economies of scale and to shake up markets. This kind of “digital disruption” means that upstarts can pose serious threats to large, entrenched companies before senior firms can react. It means your next rival could come from outside your industry.

Who are these digital disruptors? Consider Guy Cramer, who applies a simple graphics program to create military camouflage designs for the militaries of more than a dozen countries. Gabrielle Blair used free blogging tools to create a Design Mom website that millions of people read and advertisers support. Dave Dickinson’s company, Zeo Inc., sells a $100 headband that helps users understand how well they sleep – an innovation that big drug companies could not match.

Steps to Digital Disruption

If you run an established business, now is the time to become a digital disruptor. Your competitors probably are already on...