GOOD READS
Stop
Calling Things Disruptive
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Truly disruptive technologies or business models are an amazing thing . Steam engines , assembly lines , the internet : these things changed the world .
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But we often confuse things that are innovative with things that are disruptive . Disruption is groundbreaking ; it knocks tradition back on its heels . Innovation uses new methods or new ideas . Innovation is extraordinarily important , and it can be disruptive , but it isn ’ t necessarily the same thing .
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Truly disruptive technologies or models often fail before they succeed .
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In Forbes Magazine , Clayton Christensen , a Harvard Business School professor ( and founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation ), says that , A disruption displaces an existing market , industry , or technology and produces something new and more efficient and worthwhile . It is at once destructive and creative .
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In our world of fashion tech , there are real disruptions happening : the rise of recommerce , the adoption of non-currency and non-ownership ideas , the mass embracing of wearable tech . Let ’ s not undermine these disruptions by throwing the word around .
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The next time you ’ re describing something amazing ask yourself : is this innovative , is it merely novel , or is this truly disruptive ?
This is a version of an article originally published on the Third Wave Fashion blog .
Check it out for loads more original content ! Visit thirdwavefashion . com for more .
! And While You ’ re At It
Stop using these words , too :
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! bottom line curate ecomm fashion 2.0 game changer glamour metrics like ___ for ___ next level ninja productize rightsize social shopping uber-ize unicorn value prop web 2.0 wizard
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! … and stop releasing wearable tech prototypes and calling them products !
18 THIRDWAVE · ISSUE ONE