New, but not (Yet) Improved
Disruptive innovations don’t fight their established competition’s strengths. They beat their opponents’ weaknesses.
Your new product or service shouldn’t try to beat the competition at its own game. Practise asymmetric warfare: fast where they’re slow, flexible where they’re rigid.
Thing is, if they’re a mature player they’ve already worked out most of the efficiencies in their business model. They’re pretty much as good as they’ll ever be. They should be better than you.
For now.
But you’ll get better, faster, stronger. Your first iteration is just a taste of things to come. Keep building. Keep improving. Not by adding on unnecessary features, trying to catch up with the competition, but by more fully expressing the core idea that makes your thing great.
You’re the gawky puppy with the big feet. They’re the old dog looking disdainfully at you.
Just wait six months.
