Big Bang Disruption

by Larry Downes

"Free navigation apps on smartphones wreaked havoc for the makers of standalone GPS devices. Airbnb and other resource sharing services are undermining hotels. Uber, SideCar and Lyft are reinventing the heavily regulated taxi and limousine industry. These are just a few of hundreds of examples of Big Bang Disruptions-new products and services that enter the market better and cheaper than established products, seemingly overnight. Driven by falling prices for component parts, rapid experimentation with real customers, and the delivery platforms of the Internet and the cloud, they are...