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That's the problem with being an established market leader. You're so terrified of blowing up your own market that you're afraid to disrupt with innovation.

gumby 3y ago
This is the topic of the famous book “The Innovator’s Dilemma” (one of the three or four business books actually worth reading, and unfortunately also the source of the overused word “disruption” in business)
- snwt 3y ago
  Could you by any chance list the other books? Just finished reading The Innovator's Dilemma. Phenomenal read.
  - gumby 3y ago
    Two other important ones for entrepreneurs: - “Crossing the Chasm” in the end this book is really just a single drawing, but the text explains the problem: why early traction not only doesn’t imply future growth, but if misunderstood, can kill any future growth. Also very important for investors and people at big companies. - I really like the underrated “Mastering the Dynamics of Innovation” by Utterback. It’s kind of a complement to the other two, full of amazing market hacks to get a new product established. For example, 120 years ago, electric companies would put on demo sessions for the public, so the gas companies would send people with metal bars in their sleeves to short out the electrical systems (in a cloud of sparks of course!). So Edison (IIRC) got the clever idea to run the electric wiring through the gas conduit, both “for safety” and to take the gas out of service. We often don’t understand what the true characteristics and affordances of a new technology are — and neither do the customers. That’s what this book is about.
    - snwt 3y ago
      Thank you for the recommendation. I got into a rut in terms of just doing programming and reading technical content about a year ago. So, I started reading from a list of books mentioned in various HN posts. As I slowly make my way through the list, I feel both like an idiot for not having read these books earlier, and at the same time thoroughly happy that there are such beautiful concepts out there to learn that's not just programming or systems design. Hadn't heard about the Utterback one! Seems like it would be right up my alley.

gumby 3y ago

This is the topic of the famous book “The Innovator’s Dilemma” (one of the three or four business books actually worth reading, and unfortunately also the source of the overused word “disruption” in business)

snwt 3y ago
Could you by any chance list the other books? Just finished reading The Innovator's Dilemma. Phenomenal read.
- gumby 3y ago
  Two other important ones for entrepreneurs: - “Crossing the Chasm” in the end this book is really just a single drawing, but the text explains the problem: why early traction not only doesn’t imply future growth, but if misunderstood, can kill any future growth. Also very important for investors and people at big companies. - I really like the underrated “Mastering the Dynamics of Innovation” by Utterback. It’s kind of a complement to the other two, full of amazing market hacks to get a new product established. For example, 120 years ago, electric companies would put on demo sessions for the public, so the gas companies would send people with metal bars in their sleeves to short out the electrical systems (in a cloud of sparks of course!). So Edison (IIRC) got the clever idea to run the electric wiring through the gas conduit, both “for safety” and to take the gas out of service. We often don’t understand what the true characteristics and affordances of a new technology are — and neither do the customers. That’s what this book is about.
  - snwt 3y ago
    Thank you for the recommendation. I got into a rut in terms of just doing programming and reading technical content about a year ago. So, I started reading from a list of books mentioned in various HN posts. As I slowly make my way through the list, I feel both like an idiot for not having read these books earlier, and at the same time thoroughly happy that there are such beautiful concepts out there to learn that's not just programming or systems design. Hadn't heard about the Utterback one! Seems like it would be right up my alley.