{"id":25654,"date":"2026-03-03T22:25:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/glossary\/disruptive-innovation\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T15:15:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:15:33","slug":"disruptive-innovation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/disruptive-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Disruptive Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background:#f0f1f3;padding:1.5rem;margin-bottom:2rem;border-radius:12px;\">\n<strong>In brief:<\/strong> Disruptive innovation describes a type of innovation in which new products, technologies, or business models initially emerge in niche markets and gradually displace established providers. The term was coined by Clayton Christensen and explains why successful companies can lose their competitive edge despite good management.\n<\/div>\n<nav style=\"background:#f8f9fa;padding:1.5rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:2rem;\">\n<strong style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol style=\"margin:0.75rem 0 0;padding-left:1.25rem;\">\n<li><a href=\"#definition\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">What Is Disruptive Innovation? \u2013 Definition According to Christensen <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#typen\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Disruptive vs. Sustaining Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mechanismus\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">The Mechanism of Disruption<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#erkennen\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Identifying Disruptive Threats<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#reagieren\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Responding to Disruption: 4 Strategies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#selbst-disruptieren\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Self-Disruption: Challenging Your Own Business Model<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Frequently Asked Questions About Disruptive Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#verwandte-glossar-begriffe\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Related glossary terms<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"definition\">What Is Disruptive Innovation? \u2013 Definition According to Christensen <\/h2>\n<p>Disruptive innovation (German: disruptive Neuerung) is a term coined by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen in his work &#8220;The Innovator\u2019s Dilemma&#8221; (1997). It describes a process in which a smaller company with fewer resources successfully challenges an established company. <\/p>\n<p>Important: Not every groundbreaking innovation is disruptive in Christensen&#8217;s sense. Disruption describes a specific mechanism: New providers start in overlooked market segments with simpler, cheaper, or more accessible offerings. These are initially inferior to established products\u2014but improve continuously until they meet the needs of the majority of customers.  <\/p>\n<p>In the context of <a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">business model innovation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-management\/\">innovation management<\/a>, understanding disruptive dynamics is crucial: Established companies must know when to cannibalize their own <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/business-model-patterns\/\">business model<\/a> before a newcomer does.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"typen\">Disruptive vs. Sustaining Innovation<\/h2>\n<p>Christensen distinguishes two fundamental types of innovation that require completely different strategic responses:<\/p>\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:1rem 0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f1f5f9;\">\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Criterion<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Sustaining Innovation<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Disruptive Innovation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Target market<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Existing customers<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Niche, non-customers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Performance<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Better than existing products<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Initially worse, then good enough<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Price point<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Premium or market-standard<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Significantly cheaper or free of charge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Business model<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Existing model optimised<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">New <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/revenue-model\/\">revenue model<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Who wins<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Established companies<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">New market entrants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>A common misconception: Disruption and <a href=\"\/glossar\/pivot\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">pivot<\/a> are not the same. A pivot is a strategic change of direction by a single company\u2014disruption describes a market-wide transformation process. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mechanismus\">The Mechanism of Disruption<\/h2>\n<p>Disruptive innovation follows a characteristic pattern that Christensen describes as the &#8220;Innovator\u2019s Dilemma&#8221;:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Niche entry:<\/strong> A new provider (often a <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\">startup<\/a>) serves a market segment that is unattractive to established companies\u2014too small, too unprofitable, technologically too simple<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rational ignorance:<\/strong> The established company focuses on its most profitable customers and their increasing demands\u2014a rational decision from a management perspective<\/li>\n<li><strong>Performance improvement:<\/strong> The new provider gradually improves its offering\u2014often with a fundamentally different <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/business-model-patterns\/\">business model pattern<\/a>, e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/subscription-model\/\">subscription<\/a> instead of purchase<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mainstream invasion:<\/strong> At a certain point, the disruptive offering also meets the demands of mainstream customers\u2014at a fraction of the previous price<\/li>\n<li><strong>Displacement:<\/strong> The established provider&#8217;s customers switch. The formerly dominant company can no longer respond because its entire <a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">business model<\/a> is designed for the old world <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"erkennen\">Identifying Disruptive Threats<\/h2>\n<p>Early warning signals for potentially disruptive developments in your market:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Over-served customers:<\/strong> Your customers use only a fraction of your product\u2019s features\u2014an indication of &#8220;overserving&#8221; that creates room for simpler alternatives<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non-consumption:<\/strong> There is a large group of potential customers who do not use your product\u2014because it is too expensive, too complex, or too inaccessible<\/li>\n<li><strong>New technologies at the low end:<\/strong> A <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\">startup<\/a> offers a significantly simpler version of your product\u2014and is dismissed by your top customers<\/li>\n<li><strong>Business model shifts:<\/strong> Competitors are experimenting with <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/freemium-model\/\">freemium models<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/platform-business-model\/\">platform business models<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/subscription-model\/\">subscription models<\/a> that your industry has not known before<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cross-industry entrants:<\/strong> Companies from other industries are entering your market with <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-business-models\/\">digital business models<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Systematic <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/competitive-analysis\/\">competitive analysis<\/a> and regular trend monitoring are essential to identify disruptive threats in time.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"reagieren\">Responding to Disruption: 4 Strategies<\/h2>\n<p>Established companies have several strategic options when a disruptive threat is identified:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Acquire:<\/strong> Acquisition of the disruptive provider before it reaches critical mass. Risk: cultural integration frequently fails. <\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Establish autonomous unit:<\/strong> Build a separate organization with its own <a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">business model<\/a>, its own culture, and its own market focus\u2014as internal <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/venture-building\/\">venture building<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Transform own business model:<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/business-model-transformation\/\">business model transformation<\/a> of the core business\u2014the most difficult but often most effective path in the long term.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Defend premium position:<\/strong> Focus on the upper market segment that is affected by disruption last\u2014a delay strategy that only works with strong <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/brand-positioning\/\">brand positioning<\/a> and a clear <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/usp-unique-selling-proposition\/\">USP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"selbst-disruptieren\">Self-Disruption: Challenging Your Own Business Model<\/h2>\n<p>The most effective response to potential disruption is proactive self-disruption. A company deliberately cannibalizes its own business model before a competitor does: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/business-model-canvas\/\">Business Model Canvas<\/a>:<\/strong> Visualize the current business model and systematically search for disruption vulnerabilities<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apply <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/blue-ocean-strategy\/\">Blue Ocean Strategy<\/a>:<\/strong> Identify new market spaces that are overlooked by existing industry logic<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/jobs-to-be-done-jtbd\/\">Analyse jobs-to-be-done:<\/a><\/strong> Understand what &#8220;job&#8221; customers really want to get done\u2014regardless of the current solution<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build innovation labs:<\/strong> Create protected spaces for radical experiments that are allowed to question the core business<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a> methodology:<\/strong> Validate disruptive hypotheses quickly and cost-effectively in the market<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1e3a5f,#2563eb);color:#fff;padding:2rem;border-radius:12px;margin:2rem 0;text-align:center;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#fff;margin-top:0;\">Future-Proof Your Business Model<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">Identify disruptive threats and turn them into opportunities\u2014before others do. We analyze your market and develop a strategy for sustainable innovation success with you. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/business-model-innovation-services\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#fff;color:#1e3a5f;padding:0.75rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;margin-top:0.5rem;\">Book Strategy Session Now \u2192<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Is the iPhone an example of disruptive innovation?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>Strictly according to Christensen&#8217;s definition: No. The iPhone was a sustaining innovation in the smartphone market\u2014it was a premium product from the start that surpassed existing smartphones. However, it was disruptive for other industries: digital cameras, MP3 players, GPS devices, and calculators were displaced by a cheaper all-in-one device. This shows: Disruption always depends on perspective and the market being considered.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">How can I protect my company from disruption?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>There is no 100% protection, but you can significantly increase your company&#8217;s resilience: Systematically monitor the edges of your market and adjacent industries. Invest in multiple business models simultaneously. Build a strong innovation culture that sees change as an opportunity. And above all: Regularly question your own success formulas\u2014because that is exactly what potential disruptors do.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Does disruption also affect small and medium-sized enterprises?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>Yes, SMEs are particularly affected\u2014and at the same time particularly well positioned. Affected because they often operate in niches that are being dissolved by digital business models. Well positioned because they bring the agility and customer proximity to be disruptive themselves. The key lies in actively defending one&#8217;s own niche while testing new business models.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Which industries are currently most threatened by disruption?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>Particularly affected are industries with high margins, complex value chains, and traditional intermediary models: financial services (through FinTechs), healthcare (through HealthTechs and AI diagnostics), education (through EdTechs and AI tutoring), real estate (through PropTechs), and consulting (through AI-powered tools). <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-transformation\/\">Digital transformation<\/a> and especially <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/ai-powered-business-models\/\">AI-powered business models<\/a> are accelerating disruptive dynamics across industries. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;padding:0;margin-bottom:0.75rem;\">\n<summary style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;list-style:none;\">How can established companies create disruptive innovations themselves?<\/summary>\n<div style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem 1.2rem;\">Successful corporate disruption typically requires separate teams with different metrics, budgets, and decision-making authority from the core business. Amazon Web Services, for example, operated independently from retail. Create &#39;innovation sandboxes&#39; where teams can pursue disruptive ideas without being judged by current business unit metrics. The key challenge is that disruptive innovations initially serve small markets with lower margins, which existing performance systems often reject as unworthy of attention.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Related Terms<\/h2>\n<div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;margin-top:0.5rem;\">\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-management\/\">Innovation Management<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"\/en\/glossary\/business-model-innovation\/\">Business Model Innovation<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-transformation\/\">Digital Transformation<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/change-management\/\">Change Management<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In brief: Disruptive innovation describes a type of innovation in which new products, technologies, or business models initially emerge in niche markets and gradually displace established providers. The term was&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24529,"parent":25140,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25654","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Point-of-New-Business-Model-Innovation-Benedikt-Hasibeder-scaled.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25654"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28059,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25654\/revisions\/28059"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}