Disruptive businesses change the world by inventing game-changing products and services that transform how we live, work and connect with each other. So, it’s no surprise that the most successful business disruptors – Amazon, Apple and Google among them – are household names and some of the most valuable companies on Earth.
For my book, The Disruptors: How 15 Successful Businesses Defied the Norm, I studied 15 other disruptive and groundbreaking businesses of our time, from film company A24 through to social media platform TikTok. They all had valuable lessons to teach leaders looking to disrupt their own marketplace. Here are four of those lessons:
1. Fearlessly tackle big problems
Disruptors aren’t afraid of challenges. In fact, they positively welcome them. That’s why many disruptive businesses are wrestling with some of society’s biggest problems, including climate change. A good example is U.K.-based Octopus Energy, which has scaled at speed by delivering cheaper, greener energy to customers around the world.
Another disruptor that is helping to mitigate climate change is electric car maker Tesla. Tesla has helped to accelerate the shift to a low-carbon economy by building fast, attractive and high-performance electric cars. Nearly half of all battery-powered vehicles sold in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2024 were manufactured by Tesla.
2. Make life easier for other people
German meal kit provider HelloFresh has built its brand on taking the pain out of mealtimes. In fact, it makes dinnertime super easy for busy people by sending them all the fresh and pre-measured ingredients they need to whip up a tasty and nutritious meal.
HelloFresh doesn’t just offer its customers convenience, however. It offers them customization as well. Thanks to the simple online ordering system, customers can choose what goes in their food box and when they will receive it, while the available recipes cater to a wide range of diets, from vegetarian through to high protein. By offering a tailored service, HelloFresh has established itself as the world’s most popular meal kit.
3. Execute the concept better than anyone else
Home-sharing platform Airbnb was not the first website in the US to offer short-term property rentals. Yet it overtook competitors by developing a better platform and a more distinctive brand. In particular, Airbnb prioritized the creation of a user-friendly online experience, and it applied sophisticated algorithms to help guests locate their ideal accommodation. It also grounded its brand in the concept of community: a community of like-minded hosts and travelers all around the world.
Another effective executor is TikTok. Founded in China in 2016, the entertainment app was a comparatively late arrival to the social media market. Nevertheless, its short-form video content was so wildly popular that the app boasted 100 million users within a year of its launch. Before long, TikTok was a global phenomenon and today it boasts more than one billion monthly active users. TikTok’s success can be attributed to its addictive and captivating content – which is created by its users – and its highly effective recommendation engine. This recommendation engine learns users’ interests from their viewing habits and makes compelling, personalized recommendations that keep them hooked.
4. Be a force for good
Deciem, the Toronto-based umbrella company behind beauty brands The Ordinary and NIOD, aims to be a force for good within the beauty industry. From the outset, it positioned itself as an incubator of innovative and effective beauty brands that deliver results to consumers – without necessarily bearing a high price tag.
In addition, Deciem is transparent about its product formulations, ingredients and pricing. It wants to educate people so that they understand exactly what they are putting on their skin and whether they are overpaying for products that just feature generic ingredients. “We don’t promise what isn’t there,” is the verdict of Deciem CEO Nicola Kilner.
Forbes
