

Ask HN: How to Disrupt? - Chirag

Thoughts, ideas and suggestions?<p>We have great articles on "How to become a hacker":ESR and "How to start a start-up":PG. I though it would be interesting and useful to explore "How to Disrupt?"
======
p01nd3xt3r
You should read a book called "Blue ocean strategy"; it is about this exact
thing. The core part of any disruption in my opinion is to eliminate the value
cost trade off. Companies usually compete on 2 grounds; lower price or
increased utility. But when a someone enters the market and breaks the value
cost trade off (increased utility w/ lower price) the result is usually
disruption within the market.

Yes, I know the above stuff is ovious; what you need to know is how to do
this. I have put some methods below.

1\. Reconstruct market boundaries: you can do this by looking across
alternative industries or across strategic groups in an industry. What are
your customers alternative? What if they trade up? What if they trade down?

Drawing a strategic canvas and applying the 4 actions framework is useful.

2\. Focus on the big picture and not just the numbers

Data driven decision making is good but sometimes people get lost in the
numbers; epically the market leaders. By focusing on the big picture (context
and consumer intent) instead of just the numbers you are more likely to be
able to see outside of the existing market paradigms.

3\. Reach beyond existing demand

First tier: “Soon to be” non-customers who are the edge of our market; waiting
to jump ship

Second tier: refusing non-customers who consciously choose against our market

Third tier: “unexplored” non-customers who are in markets distant from ours

There are many other ways as well e.g.: Get the strategic sequence right
etc...but these were some of my favorites.

------
davidw
This book has some interesting ideas:

[http://www.squeezedbooks.com/book/show/5/lateral-
marketing-n...](http://www.squeezedbooks.com/book/show/5/lateral-marketing-
new-techniques-for-finding-breakthrough-ideas)

------
imp
The Innovator's Solution: [http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Solution-Creating-
Sustainin...](http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Solution-Creating-Sustaining-
Successful/dp/1578518520)

------
harscoat
By challenging (finding another solution to) one parameter everybody takes for
granted. I think of Skype challenging the phone paradigm (ie we have to pay
for it, per minute, the further on Earth the more expensive). If you come
accross a pain that people "accept" as part of life, there is room for power
disruption (imo).

------
Chirag
Disruptive ideas should be push enough to make then your new need. Now days we
use google, for almost everything online search, bookmarking, history, cache,
research... essentially google disrupted market so much that it has become a
daily need(if you are online).

