Making Disruption a Business Strategy

What do many of today's leading technology companies have in common?  It can be said that they are constantly innovating, and in many cases disrupting their markets.  I went to a forum at the end of 2015 with leading CEOs, where it was acknowledged that DISRUPTION would be the coined theme in 2016 for all businesses.  It has become a mandate to create something totally “new” every few months.  Great companies are directed to disrupt their technology, business processes, their departments, etc.  It is also the belief that such disruption breeds curiosity within the organization.  Disruption, quite simply, becomes their business strategy.  The old adage was don't fix it, if it's not broken.  Now, the new model is:  disrupt yourself, or run the risk of being disrupted.  

In leading a SaaS technology company, I can say that we are always creating something “new” – something “new” for our clients, something “new” to continue the conversation with prospects, something entirely “new” for our mobile learning platform, as well as something "new" for our team.  So, you could suggest that our culture is disruptive too, as we are always seeking to innovate.  There is also a collaborative spirit across our organization that feeds the curiosity and this disruption.  At the same time, the current market's pervasive interest in mobile technology also contributes to our disruption and our inspiration.

Technology moves so fast; I think it is imperative to keep creating, keep disrupting.  Look at the 3 A’s – Amazon, Apple & now Google’s Alphabet – always reinventing themselves, or a product for the consumer.  

You constantly hear that mobile is moving the quickest and being the most disruptive.  Mobile-First companies are certainly talked about a lot.  Is there a day that goes by that you don’t hear about Uber, AirBnB or SnapChat, among others?  Most of the hottest companies and with the fastest adoption rates by consumers are fueled by Mobile.  They are also the ones reshaping their markets, for example, Robinhood (mobile-only stock trading with zero fees) & Shyp (coined as the “Uber for shipping”) – both Mobile-First platforms and both disrupters.  

Scrimmage is doing the same thing for learning.  Wherever you are in the world, you can now access relevant, educational content on your mobile devices through our platform.   Leading companies see how this enhances the employee and the customer experience.

The outlook and the landscape for technology, including mobile, certainly breeds curiosity – look at the breadth of Virtual Reality (VR) technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented Reality (AR).  To embrace disruption and innovation in a company is a great thing.  However, to embrace it with a collaborative spirit and ideas from all areas of the business is even more compelling and more powerful.  After all, it could lead to not only disrupting your company’s technology, but also your marketplace.  

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