Industry Disruption : the right way to do it!

Industry disruption refers to the process by which a smaller company with fewer resources successfully challenges the established incumbent businesses.
Sounds like a major shakeup right? Well, not really! In fact it is not so much a distortion as it is a simple displacement.

And the most important rule – do NOT make a noise about what you are going to do.

Why is this so important? Isn’t this something the tech press would gleefully lap up? After all it is not every day that a David challenges a Goliath!

Well, here are the reasons.

The element of surprise and the incumbent underestimating you is the best thing that is going to work in your favor. Let them think you are inconsequential. Let them think you are not worth their time.

Do not spite the incumbent. The last think you would want is them having their ego hurt and coming at you all guns blazing. This will mean spending time you don’t have on putting out fires that dint have to be lit in the first place.

Another key thing to do – Ensure that your product is inferior to the existing offerings in the market. Yes you read that right – it has to be inferior. It should not match the customer needs completely. This is how you convince the incumbent that you are no competition. You do not want to take them on. And definitely not on their home turf!

And when do you talk about it? Not when you are planning it. Not when you are doing it. Ideally once the dust has settled. Or when everything that needs to be done is set up such that the results is now inevitable.
So there you go. Go ahead. Knock yourself out. Wreck havoc. Just don’t play to the gallery!