Clayton Christensen

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Apply Research to Investment Strategy

  Capital allocation

  A founder can gain a competitive edge by building an investment firm that directly applies their own academic research and theories to market opportunities.

  Source Wikipedia: Clayton Christensen  (opens in a new tab)

• Focus on Disruptive Innovation

  Strategy

  Success comes from identifying and developing products or services that disrupt existing markets rather than just making incremental improvements.

  Source Wikipedia: Clayton Christensen  (opens in a new tab)

• Focus on Jobs To Be Done

  Customers

  Innovation should focus on understanding the specific job or progress a customer is trying to make in a given circumstance.

  Source Wikipedia: Clayton Christensen  (opens in a new tab)

• Proprietary vs Modular Advantage

  Strategy

  Proprietary solutions win in early, immature markets, but as technology matures, modular architectures and industry standards usually take over.

  Supporting quotes

  • “It's easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98% of the time.”

    “Disruptive technologies typically enable new markets to emerge. There is strong evidence showing that companies entering these emerging markets early have significant first-mover advantages over later entrants.”

    “Generally, disruptive innovations were technologically straightforward, consisting of off-the-shelf components put together in a product architecture that was often simpler than prior approaches.”