Disruption

[Rick K - First Member]

Been away from all this for a while...many reasons, happily none involving dreaded diseases, accidents or upsets to our "domestic arrangements".

The following is presented for your amusement.

Looking at the state of the metal detector marketplace right now and it seems to be suffering from a pretty severe case of "Disruption". This is a theory set forth by a very smart guy at MIT, Clayton Christensen a while back. 

I am getting pretty involved with learning about AI and I use a handy AI Chatbot called You.com. here's what it says about Disruption...If this isn't interesting, no problem, but have a quick thought about Minelab's recent pricing and model introductions, Nokta/Makro's products and prices, Whites and Tesoro's disappearance and First Texas' fire sale on what sits in their very large warehouse.

 

Clayton Christensen's theory of disruption, also known as disruptive innovation theory, is a concept that explains how new technologies, products, or services can disrupt existing markets and industries. Here are some key points about Clayton Christensen's theory of disruption:

1. **Definition of Disruption**: According to Christensen, disruption occurs when a new entrant successfully introduces a product or service that initially serves a niche market or a lower-end segment of the market. Over time, the disruptive innovation improves and gains market share, eventually displacing established companies and transforming the industry.

2. **Differentiating Disruption from Sustaining Innovation**: Christensen differentiates between disruptive innovation and sustaining innovation. Sustaining innovation refers to incremental improvements made by established companies to enhance their existing products or services. Disruptive innovation, on the other hand, introduces a fundamentally different approach or technology that creates new market opportunities.

3. **Two Types of Disruption**: Christensen's theory recognizes two types of disruption: low-end disruption and new-market disruption. Low-end disruption occurs when a new entrant targets customers who are underserved by existing products or services, typically offering a simpler, more affordable alternative. New-market disruption occurs when a new entrant creates a market where none existed before, often by targeting non-consumers or addressing unmet needs.

4. **Incumbent Challenges**: Incumbent companies often struggle to respond to disruptive innovations due to various reasons, such as their focus on serving existing customers and their reluctance to cannibalize their own products or services. This creates opportunities for new entrants to gain a foothold and disrupt the market.

5. **Application of Disruption Theory**: Disruption theory has been applied to various industries, including technology, healthcare, education, and more. It helps explain why established companies sometimes fail to adapt to new technologies and why new entrants can disrupt established markets.

 

[klunker]

 You left out #6.

6. A company develops a quality product that exceeds the performance of existing like products and markets said product by reasonable price and excellent customer service.

Now that would be disruptive!