Perusing the fundraising pitch for a "game-changing coffee machine" on Kickstarter recently, it struck me how the embrace of upheaval has become the enduring cliché of every forward-thinking business, founder, entrepreneur, and creative agency.
The term has become so widespread that it's rendered nearly devoid of significance. It's erroneously utilized as a synonym for ingenuity, a merging of alteration with enhancement. However, as the endeavors of Elon Musk have demonstrated, disruption is only occasionally synonymous with improvement.
For leaders aspiring to propel change, the allure of "disruption" can detract from their genuine objectives. We must gauge transformation not by the turmoil of upheaval, but by the enhancements being realized. Below are some strategies brands and business leaders can employ to reshape their mindsets—transitioning from "How do I dismantle things?" to "How do we mend things?"
DON’T CONFLATE NOISE WITH CHANGE
As consumers, we're inherently drawn to the fresh, the unforeseen, the startling. Hence, the alterations that stick in our minds tend to be the disruptive ones. However, transformation doesn't always need to be conspicuous. And loudness doesn't invariably lead to substantial change.
Significant change doesn't necessarily have to be attention-grabbing. The acclaimed revamp of the U.K. government's GOV.UK website and corresponding identity system serves as a prime example. Rolled out with minimal fanfare and met with apathetic indifference from the average person, it has since become the global standard for accessibility, readability, and user-friendliness. Some might argue that the hushed manner in which it was embraced is itself indicative of success, proof of its seamless efficacy.
SIT DOWN, YOU’RE ROCKING THE BOAT
Only venture capital executives find satisfaction in upheaval. Your clientele, the general public, government, and everyone else would prefer a seamless experience. In fact, your triumph might hinge on not seeming disruptive at all.
In the initial stages of my career, presenting concepts to the founders of Zoopla (the U.K. property website akin to Zillow in the U.S.) offered an enlightening lesson. We were briefed on its vision of a consolidated marketplace for residential lettings and sales, a robust comparison tool and direct-to-market platform enabling individuals to act as their own agents, bypassing intermediaries in the process. Given the questionable reputation of real estate agents—let's face it, they're barely tolerated at times—we believed this approach was too compelling to overlook. We crafted a dynamic brand identity centered on empowerment, a defender of the underdog, poised to revolutionize (yes, to disrupt) the entire property sector.
Upon presenting this to our client, his immediate reaction was, "Let's avoid making adversaries. We don't need the resistance. Furthermore, there's no reason why real estate agents couldn't be our clients as well." A $3 billion acquisition by private equity firm Silver Lake, a decade later, underscores his foresight. Agents indeed became Zoopla's primary clients, and securing their cooperation without causing friction was a pivotal factor in the company's success.
WHEN DISRUPTION FAILS
Occasionally, it's worth questioning whether transformation is even desirable. Consider Juicero, the generously funded Silicon Valley startup that introduced juicing machines capable of squeezing prepackaged fruits, sold via subscription, exerting four tons of force. Investors, including Google, were lured (to the tune of $120 million) by the prospect of revolutionizing the realm of fruit-based liquid extraction. So, you can envision their dismay when an enterprising Bloomberg journalist achieved the same outcome by merely squeezing the bags with his hands.
The captivating exploration into the ascent and downfall of Zume Pizza also provides some delectable insight. One prospective customer, upon witnessing the mobile pizza-making machines equipped with Zume's sophisticated robotics and AI-driven distribution, remarked, "Wow, this seems like so much unnecessary effort. We can accomplish this faster with 12 people at $12 per hour."
Novelty isn't always synonymous with improvement. This month witnessed the debut of Arlington restaurant, led by the maestro of London hospitality, Jeremy King. Located on the premises of Le Caprice, a former hotspot frequented by luminaries like Princess Diana, Madonna, and Mick Jagger, the launch marks a return to the scene where Jeremy made his mark 40 years ago. And his directive? To preserve the elements people cherished, to minimize changes, and only implement them where they enhance the experience. In a world of QR code menus, virtual waiting lists, and Deliveroo, Arlington prioritized instead having a phone line that's always answered, remembering people's names and preferences, and attending to details like the optimal serving size of champagne (it's 150ml if you're curious).
People aren't concerned if it's novel. They care if it's superior. Sometimes, the path to success involves simply executing something timeless exceptionally well.
AIM FOR “THIS CAN’T POSSIBLY BE NEW”
Certain industries are failing their patrons so egregiously that any enhancement requires a complete overhaul. Even in these cases, an emphasis on upheaval is unproductive. Instead, our measure of success should elicit the reaction "I can't believe they didn't do it like this before." Because the most effective solutions, the ones that endure, are those that individuals cannot envision in any other form.
A prime example is the provision of nutrition in schools. Everyone recalls the unpalatable school lunches. Unrecognizable stews and processed sides that are convenient to prepare and swift to distribute. However, the students refused to consume them, resulting in poor dietary outcomes and extensive food waste. Sodexo, one of the largest facility and catering service providers globally, tasked us with enhancing the situation. We began with the realization that children held firm opinions about what appeared on their plates. A solitary ingredient they disapproved of in a stew would condemn the entire batch to the trash. Therefore, we devised a modular menu, comprising fundamental components, which could be combined based on student preferences, palates, allergies, or dietary preferences. The outcome? A 10% increase in student engagement (accompanied by a 35% surge in vegetable consumption), prompting one participant to exclaim, "I can't believe they didn't do it like this before."
Hence, let's retire the notion of disruption. Because disruption for the sake of disruption is akin to a pizza-making robot—an answer to a question nobody posed. Disruption is neither favorable nor the objective. What the world requires are enhanced results. Transformations that proceed cautiously and garner unanimous support. Concepts, whether novel or time-honored, executed with precision. Solutions that feel so intuitive, it's baffling why they weren't adopted earlier.
