Clayton Christensen

Biography

American business theorist (1952-2020), professor at Harvard Business School, father of disruptive innovation theory.

School of Thought

Innovation Theory

Notable Quotes

On Creative Destruction in AI Era

"Disruptive technology should be framed as a marketing challenge, not a technological one."

—Clayton Christensen, The Innovator's Dilemma (1997), p. 17, Harvard Business Review Press

On Creative Destruction in AI Era

"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."

—Clayton Christensen, The Innovator's Solution (2003), p. 34, Harvard Business Review Press

On Network Effects and Platform Monopolies

"Companies succeed when they address jobs to be done, not just customer demographics."

—Clayton Christensen, Competing Against Luck (2016), p. 28, HarperBusiness