A Brief History of Disruption

“Anomalies Wanted.” So proclaimed a sign hanging in the office of legendary Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen. The anomaly the “gentle giant of innovation” explored: why did smart, well-run companies do the right things and sometimes fail?

His answer: disruptive innovations, innovations that transformed what existed and created what didn’t by making the complicated simple and the expensive affordable.

Anomalies Wanted explores historical disruptions and the innovators that drove them. Throughout history disruptive innovators have catalyzed change, propelling humanity into new frontiers. And the history of disruption provides insight to make sense of today’s disruptions, such as generative AI, cryptocurrency, autonomous vehicles, and precision fermentation.

Scott D. Anthony is Professor at The Tuck School of Business, and Senior Advisor at the growth-strategy consulting firm, Innosight. He is the author of many books and articles including Dual Trans-formation, The Little Black Book of Innovation, and The First Mile. In 2017, Anthony received the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement award for his work in the field of innovation.