Page 96 - (DK) The Business Book
P. 96
94 94 CHANGING THE GAME
he business people we
IN CONTEXT remember are those who
T do things differently—
FOCUS
people such as Facebook CEO
Innovation
Sheryl Sandberg, US investor
KEY DATES Warren Buffett, Hong Kong business I want to put a dent
1997 US professor Clayton M. magnate Stanley Ho, British in the universe.
Christensen introduces the entrepreneur Richard Branson, Steve Jobs
concept of “disruptive and US media giant Oprah Winfrey.
technologies”—major and Similarly, the companies we
unforeseen technological remember are those whose products
and services stand out. Companies
advances that cause companies
that shuffle along with the crowd,
to redefine how they operate.
doing the same thing in the same
2000s Global Positioning old way, are soon forgotten; those Thinking one step ahead of
System (GPS) navigational that disrupt industries and change customers and competitors disrupts
technology emerges as a the game are celebrated, sometimes the status quo in a business’s favor.
disruptive innovation in a even idolized.
range of industries, from travel In today’s global market, Disruptive innovation
and fitness to recreation and competition is fierce and every Harvard Business School scholar
smartphone applications. percentage point of market share is Clayton Christensen identified
hard fought and precious. Operating two types of technology that can
2014 US professor of business
in these markets is often a zero-sum influence businesses: ”sustaining
administration David
game: competition drives prices technologies,” or advances in
McAdams writes Game- down and costs up. Gaining a technology that help companies
Changer: Game Theory and the significant competitive advantage make gradual improvements to
Art of Transforming Strategic requires more than gradual product performance; and
Situations. McAdams uggests improvement, it demands radical “disruptive technologies,” radical
that game-changers are those and disruptive shifts—if you cannot advances in technology that disrupt
who are “determined enough win the game, move the goalposts. the industry and force companies to
to change the game to their Redefining the rules and boundaries rethink their entire mode of being.
own advantage.” of an industry is the essence of Christensen later changed the term
game-changing business strategy. “disruptive technology” to
Steve Jobs Entrepreneur and inventor fate, Apple bought NeXT in 1996
Steven Paul Jobs was born on and Jobs returned to Apple later
February 24, 1955 in San that year, becoming CEO in
Francisco, California, US. In 1976, 1997. In 1998 Jobs launched the
at the age of 21, he and Steve iconic iMac computer and went
Wozniak started Apple Computers on to preside over one of the
(from the garage in Jobs’s home). most famous corporate
The business went public in 1980, renaissances in history. Under
with a market value of $1.2 billion. his guidance, Apple led the way
In 1985, after disagreements with innovative product design
with the board, Jobs was fired and technology to become one
by recently appointed CEO John of the most valuable technology
Sculley. Jobs nevertheless went businesses in the world.
on to found NeXT Computer and In 2010, Steve Jobs was 61st
invest in Pixar Animation Studios, in Time Magazine’s “100 People
which was to become hugely who Changed the World.”
successful. In a twist of corporate He died on October 5, 2011.
