It is clear. Everything legacy, every business, every process will be disrupted. So the choice is yours if you will be the one to be disrupted or you will be the disruptor. The disproportionate value that the disruptor harnesses is clear (Uber, AirBnB, Dropbox, Zappos). What makes someone to become the disruptor? Sometimes it is by accident, but more often than not it is because the disruptor decides it was enough of the status quo and acts.
A lot, it seems is linked to the mindset. Are you trying to build a great product, the best in category, one with the most features or are you trying to change the world. “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?” was what Steve Jobs said to Pepsi executive John Sculley to lure him to Apple. That didn’t end well for Steve Jobs but neither did it stop him from challenging the status quo and trying to put a dent in the Universe.
What was the idea behind WeWork? Janet Lapp writes in her post “Better the Disruptor than the Disrupted: Plan Big” – Founder Nermann and McKelvy started with the idea “First office space, then the world – Transform the way we live, work, play.” Similarly, Elon Musk is not about electric cars but about accelerating “the world’s transition sustainable transport.’
While this mindset is not for everyone as it comes with its share of costs. If you have an idea that you truly believe can change the world, it would be silly to not have a good swing at it.
Link to article by Janet Lapp:
Better the Disruptor than the Disrupted: Plan Big
