This story appears in the
October 2004 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Clayton M. Christensen has won fame for his thoughts about the
revolutionary business ideas he calls "disruptive
innovation." Now, in Seeing What's Next: Using the Theories of
Innovation to Predict Industry Change (HBS Press, $29.95),
Christensen and co-authors Scott D. Anthony and Erik A. Roth show
how to spot upcoming disruptive innovations that may threaten your
success-or ensure it.
The basic tool is a three-step process for predicting change in
any industry. First, look for companies using new ways to reach
underserved, overserved and unserved customers. Second, compare
competitors to see who has the advantage in the coming disruption.
Finally, watch these companies' strategic choices, and see how
those choices affect their chances of surviving and prospering.
Like The Innovator's Dilemma: When New
Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail and The Innovator's Solution: Creating and
Sustaining Successful Growth, this is a challenging read.
But if you liked Christensen's first two books and want more of
the same, toss out your crystal ball, and pick up Seeing What's
Next.
Caught in 'Tween
Children aged 8 to 12-aka tweens-represent a huge, profitable
and unique market for purchases either influenced by them or made
with their own money. So say youth-market experts David L. Siegel,
Timothy J. Coffey and Gregory Livingston in The Great Tween Buying Machine: Capturing Your
Share of the Multibillion Dollar Tween Market (Dearborn,
$19.95). But you'll get little or none of their business if you
treat tweens like kids, teens or adults. It takes a special touch
to reach this market. For instance, successful products aren't
marketed to parents but are designed to appease parents-because
tweens still want Mom to approve. The authors distill a great deal
of experience with clear examples and similarly useful rules that
even grown-ups can understand.
Mark Henricks is Entrepreneur's "Smart
Moves" columnist.