Daniel Wingard

Adam Padgett
ENGL102
10/10/16
Disrupting and Advancing the World, One Business at a Time
Inquiry: What outcomes do Disruptor Businesses produce for our societies, and are they more
beneficial or detrimental?
Proposed Thesis: I would argue in favor of Disruptor Businesses, as they provide a higher level
of efficiency that had not yet been achieved, as well as positive economic stimulation, all while
surpassing their competitors ways of operation.
Intro
Beginning in 1995, Harvard professor Clayton Christensen placed a label on those businesses
displacing their competition through creative and more efficient methods, known as Disruptive
Innovation. Widely criticized and questioned, my inquiry revolves around the effects produced
from Disruptive Innovation, as well as their complexity and efficiency.
Barnes, Tom. "16 Years Ago Today, Napster Changed Music as We Knew It." Music.Mic. N.p., 1
June 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
While Napster itself was short-lived, the music sharing platform was the first of its kind
to disrupt the music industry, laying the framework for several more industry-cooperative
music providers such as SoundCloud, Spotify, and DatPiff. Before creators Shawn
Fenning and Sean Parker created the revolutionary network, it was not uncommon to pay
up to $20 for an album; a non-digital version, with virtually no sharing capabilities
without face to face interaction. Undeniably, Napster seriously wounded the music
business in its hay day, however it did boost its economy in the long run; streaming
offers both the benefits of instantly accessible music and an increasing amount of pay.
Not only that, the decentralizing effect of Napster moved power away from the labels and
gave it, in part, back to the artists. What was once a slap in the face to artists
everywhere, became a blessing in disguise to the world of music. I would deem this
source credible in that it accurately depicts the creation and demise of an early disruptor
business. I acknowledge the lack of a peer reviewed status, but still agree that it would be
valuable to my final draft as an example that I have not yet included. Id consider the bias
present to be somewhat in favor of Disruptive Innovation, but informative overall. I plan
to incorporate this source into my paper because I believe it is a valuable example that I
had overlooked in the beginning stages of my proposal.

Chafkin, Max. "Airbnb Opens Up The World." Fast Company 202 (2016): 76. MasterFILE
Premier. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
In Chafkins article regarding Airbnb, readers are given a glimpse of the startup, success,
and maintenance behind one of the largest growing temporary estate providers across the
globe. Founder and CEO Brian Chesky tells his story of humble beginnings in the
businesss native city, San Francisco; he and Joe Gebbia (Co-founder) personally
photographed listings for the website in order to promote trust and friendliness for the
infant company. In little to no time, Airbnb had risen to over 2 million listings and a net
value of 25.5 billion. Chafkins writing highlights the importance that Airbnb places on
the experience each user gets out of its service; a true immersion in the culture of
whatever city the individual(s) may be residing in. Guests are looking for experiences
where they connect with people and connect with the culture; you cant automate
hospitality, Chesky argues; this type of philosophy is crucial to the success Airbnb reaps
as compared to mass replicated hotels in any given area. Upon my completion of this
article, I would assess the credibility to be more than acceptable for incorporation in my
final draft; quotes and statistics provided directly from the founders themselves deem it
suitable. In terms of its relevance, it definitely contains information that supports my
inquiry, as well as other standpoints on the subject of alternative methods of travel. After
researching about this company, Ive found it to be a prime example of disruptive
innovation, and one that will help strengthen my inquiry. To give it a fair analysis, I
definitely have to recognize the bias present in this article (in favor of Airbnb). Its hard
to expect anything less from the creators, but I did find a legitimate and strong source of
information in choosing this article. To conclude on the suitability of this source: Ill
definitely be using it in completing my paper.
Hwang, Jason, and Clayton M. Christensen. "Jason Hwang." Disruptive Innovation In Health
Care Delivery: A Framework For Business-Model Innovation. N.p., 2008. Web. 17 Oct.
2016.
Hwang and Christensen both draw attention to an issue with a solution within reach: the
need for healthcare reform and affordability through disruptive innovation. Before
providing an immediate solution, the reader is first presented with an array of business
models and facts concerning the functionality of current hospital businesses; the reason
so many across the nation struggle to pay doctors bills. Hospitals and many other
businesses alike today are what are known as Solution Shops; experts who draw upon
their intuition and problem solving skills to diagnose the cause of complicated problems
and recommend solutions. When an individual goes to see the doctor, they are paying
for the rare and highly qualified expertise that is not available anywhere else. The
solution, are facilitated user networks; enterprises where people buy and sell goods and
services, like eBay for example. A collective database where many medical related
inquiries can be answered is the proposed solution from our two authors, a great idea in
fact. I would say without a doubt that this article holds relevance to my chosen topic, and
that the credibility couldnt be better coming from Christensen himself. Several relevant
quotes can be found in the beginning of this article that would help support my argument

in the final draft, including additional definitions of disruptive innovation, and the
process of a disruptive business overtaking a traditional sustaining one. Overall, this
source was somewhat difficult for me to understand throughout reading it, but if you can
grasp the concept theyre making towards the end, its a great article to incorporate. The
bias here is not quite as strong as in the latter, an idea is simply proposed and the benefits
described in great detail.
Masnick, Mike. "Disruptive Innovation: Bad For Some Old Businesses, Good For Everyone
Else." Innovation. N.p., 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
In opposition to the argument Ive made so far, Masnick raises a question of negativity;
that is, who experiences demise as a result of disruptive innovation? It cant be denied
that progress is not made without leaving behind older and more traditional methods,
often putting competitor businesses out of operation and leaving a negative impact on the
economy. However, Masnick does address the necessity of moving on from older ways in
order to evolve and become more efficient. Included in his article is a diagram titled
Dematerialization: Using less to produce more, showing a number of products
displaced by smartphone apps. Cameras, GPS systems and even flashlights are now
pocket sized and grouped into one device: your smartphone. But the nature of
innovation is that we make things obsolete by making other things better and more
powerful and changing the way we do things; the importance of this concept is stressed
throughout the reading, although some will receive the short end of the stick when it
comes to DI, it is better for the majority and necessary for development in all industries.
In assessing the articles credibility, I wouldnt call it peer reviewed, this seems a lot more
like a blog post and more opinionated than factual. It does contain some good points to
make in the final draft though, and could be useful for finishing touches. I wanted a
source such as this one so that I could incorporate the opposing standpoint to my
argument and not be one sided. This article does a good job of recognizing the downfalls
of Disruptive Innovation, and is definitely an article to be considered.
Merguei,Nitzan."WhyBigCompaniesAreLosingWhenItComestoDisruptive..."
EntrepreneurshipConference.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Oct.2016.
The key concept discussed in Mergueis article is the process by which Disruptor
companies overtake their sustaining competitors, and how those competitors can either
save themselves or collapse entirely. The sentence above can be compressed into The
Innovators Dilemma, a novel and concept produced by DIs founder Clayton
Christensen. Companies must choose whether to continue on the path they have taken in
the past and hope to stick around with their new disruptive competitor, or take a shot in
the dark, if you will, and explore unknown territory, which may or may not yield success
in the far off future. An important distinction is mentioned through a quote provided, It
is a mistake to believe that what works for, say, Apple (Todays favorite innovator) is
going to work for your organization. You cant copy culture. If anything, this statement
highlights the daunting transition corporations must undertake when swapping business

models. There is no guarantee of success, but then again there wasnt the first time either.
This article appears credible enough to make an appearance in my final draft if necessary,
as it does a good job of providing a detailed explanation of The Innovators dilemma, a
topic largely untouched by the rest of my sources. I could see this source being useful in
the case of my paper coming up short length wise, or if I reference TID at any point
throughout my final draft.
Nguyen, Tien Anh. "Virgin Galactic's Disruptive Product Development Strategies." N.p., 24 Oct.
2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
As included in my paper, Richard Bransons commercial space travel program Virgin
Galactic provides readers with a concrete definition of Disruptive Innovation. Not only is
Branson pioneering a market left untouched in recent years by the US government, hes
on track to change travel in a way thats never been done before; potentially disrupting
airlines, sea travel, and many other long distance ventures. Making the market even more
untraditional, Virgin Galactic has begun taking payments for a product not yet available;
demonstrating an alternative method of product development, as well as a unique and
highly desirable good. This article does a great job of outlining a product/service unlike
any other, making it a superb example to use in the final draft. In terms of its credibility,
it qualifies as a blog post, reducing its overall credibility and lack of bias. I would
consider referring to this source in my final draft, based on the specific product being
discussed and its suitability for my topic.