Cambridge Business Association
Disruption 2020
Article

Disruption 2020

An Interview with Clayton M. Christensen

Karen Dillon
MIT Sloan Management Review, 2020
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Applicable
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

The late business scholar Clayton Christensen was the first to define disruptive innovation. Early in 2020 – in possibly his final consideration of the concept he originated – Christensen spoke with his frequent co-author Karen Dillon in an interview published in the MIT Sloan Management Review. Christensen, who died on January 23, 2020 at age 67, explained that disruptive innovations aren’t exotic, visionary revelations that revolutionize business. Instead, they are deceptively simple, straightforward products and services that change industries. His reflections will help you shape the future of your company as you anticipate and respond to what your rivals might do. 

Summary

Clayton M. Christensen debuted his influential “Theory of Disruptive Innovation” in his seminal 1997 book, The Innovator’s Dilemma.

When Clayton M. Christensen unveiled his “Theory of Disruptive Innovation,” his concepts remade business thinking and produced untold billions in revenue for those who heeded his words. Many credit Christensen with creating the blueprint that astute, gutsy entrepreneurs used to launch start-ups that toppled entrenched titans. Before his passing in January, 2020, Christensen spoke to his frequent co-author Karen Dillon about how he viewed his ideas and their impact and how innovation might manifest in the coming decades.

Disruptive innovations are products and services that are straightforward and cheap.

Disruptive innovation is the process by which a product or service begins...

About the Author

Former editor of Harvard Business Review Karen Dillon co-authored three best-selling books with Clayton M. Christensen.

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    J. M. 5 years ago
    Two of my favorite and inspirational authors! Karen Dillion and the late business scholar Clayton Christensen. Thank you for leading the way of disruption! And thank you for all you do to inspire the next generation of product managers!