Who is Clayton Christensen?

The Economist called him "the most influential management thinker of his time". Professor Clayton Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation fundamentally changed how we understand market dynamics, challenging us to see that success can be the very thing that leads to failure.

His insight that small, nimble companies could transform entire industries not by outperforming incumbents but by serving overlooked segments revolutionised strategic thinking. When Netflix began mailing DVDs to homes while Blockbuster focused on their retail experience, they weren't just creating a convenient alternative, they were following Christensen's playbook for market disruption.

"The reason why it is so difficult for existing firms to capitalize on disruptive innovations is that their processes and their business model that make them good at the existing business actually make them bad at competing for the disruption," Christensen observed, articulating why transformation is so challenging for successful organisations.

His frameworks matter now more than ever as AI creates unprecedented waves of change across every sector. The businesses that survive won't necessarily be the largest or most profitable today, but those who understand when to cannibalise their own success in service of what's next.

Before becoming one of Harvard Business School's most influential professors, Christensen worked as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), founded his own advanced materials company, and served as a missionary in South Korea, experiences that informed his uniquely practical approach to theory.

What’s one industry you believe is ripe for disruption?