“Disruptive” has evolved into an exciting business word, but it remains full of surprises, especially when linked to “disruptive technology” and its sea of opportunity.
“Disruptive” used to be a negative word meaning “burst asunder,” “throw into disorder,” or “dash to pieces.” Now, many see the term as a provocatively-positive invitation to dismantle or redirect the existing and drive home their over-riding point of view à la Uber and Amazon.
Lots of opportunity there but, new disruptive technologies do not automatically over-write everything. However, they will always require new ways of thinking and communicating. As a result, re-engineering and re-designing are now ongoing business processes, not once-in-a-while overhauls.
Professionals, entrepreneurs, and organizations ready to jump in and grab the emerging “brass ring”—that is, “disruptors”—benefit most when, from the start, they have client-centric vision. Once clear about existing target market needs, wants, and the untapped elements of both, opportunity emerges. As the new technology alters context for both disruptors and their target clients, competition can heat up. Client-centric disruptors can maintain their “first in” advantage because they understand how to communicate advantages, not disruption, to target markets.
At a recent Global Forum entitled “Leading in Uncertain Times,” arguably the most popular of the 11 break-out forums was “Riding the Wave of Disruptive Technologies.” A panel of forward thinkers explored the question: “What is the potential long-term economic impact of disruptive technologies?”
One panelist set the stage for disruption of globalization and emergence of a new “hyper local.”
“The path of light determines decentralized architecture,” said panelist Marcus Weldon, Chief Technology Officer of Nokia and President of Bell Labs. “It is the speed of light that determines this. [Light] can only travel about 100km (round trip, meaning there and back) in 1 millisecond. So any application or service requiring this latency/delay has to be located within 100km maximum, which we say [as] 50km allowing for some additional processing time.”
According to Weldon, this means that the “within 50 kilometers” necessity leads to a focus on “hyper local because it must be that way.”
This predicted disruptive shift from globalization to a new hyper local arises from internet of everything demands. Resulting significant change may open up local or small venture opportunity.
Weldon (by email): “Going local will require the deployment of cloud infrastructure within 50-100km from each user/enterprise and not everyone will be willing or able to build out the cloud to this level. That is not to say that Global providers cannot become local cloud providers, but they may choose not to, and just partner or federate with other cloud providers who do. Telecom operators are one potential local cloud provider for these local clouds as they own local facilities (switching offices etc.) with fiber running to those facilities, and [they] need to run their networks in this way anyway.”
How would this disruption alter context for your target markets and their income earning?
Panelist Adam Khan, Founder and CEO of Illinois-based Akhan Semiconductors and co-inventor of the Miraj Diamond™ Platform explained how diamond semiconductor technology provides “new pathways of flexibility” that have the potential to disrupt electronics, including consumer electronics and wearable applications.
If diamond—known as the “Ultimate Wide Bandgap semiconductor material”—were a key successor technology to silicon, where could disruption materialize in electronics? How would your target markets be affected? Or, would the change created open new targets for your venture?
Disruptive bonus: Later in a phone interview, Khan talked about how local and global interplay is growing his semiconductor business. He also candidly explained why disrupting his work schedule to spend three days at the Global Forum was the best use of his time.
How do you disrupt your routine to benefit your business and, therefore, your clients?
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