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Summary: The Value of Noncompliance
Review: In a short (270 pages) text, Professor Christensen provides us with a lucid explanation of the hazards of conventional thinking when faced with developing markets for goods or services. Christensen points out that unthinking compliance with the managerial practices that allowed success in established markets can often lead to ruin in emerging markets. New realities create new truths. His is a cogent argument for thinking and acting "outside of the box," at appropriate times and under appropriate conditions, to create the conditions that breed success in new circumstances. In a constantly evolving world, leaders in all markets will want to read this book to open their minds to new possibilities, and broaden their horizons.
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Summary: It ends where it should begin
Review: Clayt Christensen= Mr. Disruptive Innovation. No doubt. He has made his point in management theory; the business as usual approach of established companies is their handicap with disruptive innovations. Although his framework to explain the struggle of established companies and innovation is very useful the book doesn't get into the question; 'how to deal with disruptive innovation' ? i recommend you read 'the innovators dilemma' in combination with books like 'corporate venturing', 'radical innovation' or 'webs of innovation' that go on where christensen ends. however overall this is an absolute must read to understand the struggle of established companies and (disruptive) innovation
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Summary: Microsoft -- caught in the Innovator's Dilemma
Review: Prof. Christensen introduces the ideas of 'value network' and 'distruptive innovations'. Successful companies follow their customers up-market, eventually overshooting the needs of the bulk of their customers. When a distruptive innovation occurs, the value network of the leading company -- its profit margins, quality expectations, etc. -- do not permit it to embrace a solution which is inferior to its current offering. The disruptive innovation eventually blossoms into a better solution than what the established company offers. Microsoft has been very successful from its founding in 1975, but as the Internet rose to prominence in the mid-1990s and Windows and Office are aging not very gracefully at the start of the 21st century, Microsoft is absolutely caught in the innovator's dilemma that Christensen describes.
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Summary: A new way of thinking
Review: This book presents a new way of thinking about the business world. Most companies lose sight of these essential principles. Learning and applying these ideas can be crucial for any company.
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Summary: Hindsight is 20/20
Review: The Innovator's Dilemma presents the idea that even if you do everything right, you can still be wrong if you don't see what's coming. unfortunately, that all depends on what you can see. In this case Christensen's hindsight is 20/20 and he can say "Of course they didn't see it coming." The problem is applying this to modern business. That said, it does present a very interesting way of looking at disruptive technology changes, and how sometimes you just aren't in a position to do anything unless you scrap everything and go from there. Much of his case relies on the hard drive industry, which he has some good quantitative data to work with. At the same time, it is some of his other examples, with backhoes, and steel mills that can illustrate his concept to a greater extent. Part of this is because while computer componants is a fast moving field, it is these more lumbering machine parts area that scream "steady as it goes." Thus his thesis is stronger. It is almost too bad that the newest version is only updated and with a new chapter. Much of his computer hard drive case is only through 1996 - a lifetime ago in terms of technology changes. I would have been fascinated to see him revisit his data and see what it shows. Granted, that would be a complete rewrite of his book, but something that is so groundbreaking as this requires more thorough updating. Overall it is a very good and though provoking book that makes you think. Will it help you catch the next wave and survive the disruption? I am not sure I can say I took that away with me.
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Summary: A "must own" for managers and business executives
Review: This is the best book on strategy I have ever read (and I've read a few in my time). In his book, "The Innovator's Dilemma", Clayton M. Christensen, business professor at Harvard, explains why established firms fail, more often than none, when confronted with disruptive technologies. Disruptive technology is different from radical innovation. Such technology initially proposes attributes that are not valued by current, mainstream customers. The technology is initially attractive to a small market segment -- making it unattractive for larger firms. Therefore lies the innovator's dillema: how to allocate resources to developing a technology that will target a smaller market and at lower margins. Thoughout his book, Mr. Christensen develops a framework for managers and executives (also valid and valuable for consultants and analysts) to be able to resolve this dillema. If you are to read only one book on business this year, the Innovator's Dillema should be it. The reviewer is a certified management consultant and earned his MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and completed the Wharton School Multinational Marketing and Management Program. He is also a Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering from the University of Toronto.
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Summary: Answers the question: What Happened?
Review: In my 15 years in high tech, I've seen many established companies being done in by smaller competitors. While this is going all we would all shake our heads at the stupidity of the management of the large companies ... couldn't they see the trends? This book gives the first lucid explanation of why this happens. It shows that the managers were not being stupid. On the contrary, they were doing exactly what their customers wanted them to do ... and what they could afford to do. This book also lays out an excellent foundation that allows you to recognize the pattern and accurately predict where it could happen again. Great work!
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Summary: Content good, CD composition misses the concept
Review: I won't go into the content of Christensen's book, since most professionals who purchase it already know it's a seminal work on the pursuit of innovative new businesses by established firms. What I will go into is how the CD misses the concept of digital media. I have a 2001 Subaru Forester whose stereo has no problems playing audio CDs track by track. However, on Innovator's Dilemma, it appears that there is only 1 track per 100+ minute CD. A single track means that if you want to, say, listen to another CD before finishing this audio-book, you're hosed. With only 1 track, one can only start from the beginning. Turn down the volume at the drive-thru order window and an hour of driving later realize the CD was still playing? Start at the beginning again. Miss part of an excerpt because you got distracted in traffic? With only a single track, there's no rewinding except to restart from the beginning....
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Summary: Totally disappointing
Review: This book is very much in the "Emperor's New Clothes" school. It reminds me of the university textbook written by the professor. You HAVE to buy it because you are to be examined on the contents. Thus the professor makes a fine profit from an otherwise unsaleable book. I found it indigestible, and full of truisms. It seems an amalgam of so many other books. Nice work if you can get it.
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Summary: Ehhhh...kind'a obvious
Review: The material in this book is fairly obvious; if you have Christensen's papers from HBR and have taken any advanced marketing class, his book is just a repetitive rehash of this stuff. For the novice marketer, and one who hasn't been exposed to "disruptive" technologies and their impacts, this book may be more fulfilling. Otherwise, read his seminal paper in HBR entitled "Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave." If you're an academic or one who loves to study the fundamentals intricacies of this stuff - read the whole thing. Otherwise, it's just more cloud for your brain and more ammo for your boss to ask, "What the hell are you talking about? Get to work."
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