Is a Top-Down disruption disruptive ?

... in the traditional (christensen) sense I mean. My example in the earlier post had been countered by thiyagi. So I'm investigating it further.

To use christensen's three tests for disruptiveness:
1. Does the innovation target customers who in the past haven’t been able to “do it themselves” for lack of money or skills?
- in a top-down disruption I guess it is not the lack of money or skills which matter, but the fact that the market is so niche/high-end that it is ignored by incumbents.

2. Is the innovation aimed at customers who will welcome a simpler product?
- in a top-down disruption, is it a simpler product we are looking at? It is a product targeted at specific needs. I'm not sure whether the "simple" description would apply here. IPod - simple ?

3. Will the innovation help customers do more easily and effectively what they are already trying to do?
- maybe the top-down disruption does follow this test.

So, I'm not sure that the top-down disruption that Nicholas Carr postulates follows the traditional disruption tests of Christensen. Christensen, for one, was only looking at one form of disruption - the bottom-up type; maybe the tests don't encompass a top-down one ??

Top-Down disruptive innovations

Clayton Christensen introduced to us the concept of bottom-up disruptions which fundamentally change industries and make incumbents obsolete. Now Nicholas Carr writes a beautiful article: Top-Down Disruption in strategy+business on top-down disruptive innovations which originate as a niche high-end product/service in an industry and ride the cost-curve to slowly become mass market, in process changing their industry disruptively.

Come to think of it, the laptop is one such product. Originally targetting niche, high-end customers who wanted portability, today its prices have fallen to such an extent that its almost mass market.

Momentary delights

… walking along marine drive with the breeze on my face and a light drizzle, the songs and wit on fm, the roaring waves, the flashy cars whizzing by, the glittering sea-front … on one side mumbai runs forever at a relentless pace, a city that never sleeps … but for those who can slow down to savor the moment, there is so much beauty to behold

because technology is everyone's business

Supernova 2005: because technology is everyone's business.

Some interesting stuff from Knowledge@Wharton: What does the New Internet mean for Business ?

The world of MIT

MIT World is a free and open (:D) site that archives videos of talks held at MIT - by Nobel Prize winners, business gurus and lots of other big guys.

Found it through Dave Winer's blog post calling for a podcast support. I strongly agree - podcasts are just awesome, download during the day and watch videos of events when you are free at night. Would be a great addition to MITWorld.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

Steve Jobs Commencement address at Stanford:

"You've got to find what you love"

10

That's the average number of Mercs I notice per day in mumbai. In any other city I'd be drooling on darshan of one once in a while. Funny place this is. I guess the count would be around 3 for the BMW and Lexus. And a porshe or a beetle is I guess quite easy to catch if you take a walk down Marine drive. Of course, for people who stand in long lines to get on a lift I guess its all pretty normal :P