Isn’t the notion of “disruption “, aka disruptive innovation, used and abused by analysts and technology experts? And by dint of abuse, aren’t we in the process of deluding ourselves? At a time when some are fretting about the volatility of the business generated by ‘unicorns’ or even centaurs, it is perhaps worth asking whether we have not entered an innovation bubble, yet accentuated by that of generative AI, marked by the correction of technology values and a return to more traditional values. Yet it may be too early to find out about the reality of such disruptive innovations. Here are my thoughts about the subject with a few references to sources and books I found interesting.

Disruption: Is Disruptive Innovation Overhyped?

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_82670" style="width: 1360px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-82670">I find reviews of supposed disruptive innovations in the media, and especially social media, somewhat lacking consistency. One minute everyone is vowing that a revolution has happened. The next that a bubble is about to burst, yet no one is able to predict the future properly. Thus, is disruptive innovation real or a pie in the sky, or does it emerge over time? Is, by and large, IT causing disruption in our lives, or are there more important thing on earth? In short, how can we ensure that our vision for innovation is accurate? – image produced with Midjourney</figcaption></figure>

The so-called GenAI revolution

While some have been claiming that we are living in a bubble of innovation (here, here and here for instance and here and here with AI), it has to be said that not everyone always agrees. Especially with the advent of the so-called GenAI revolution.

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_69352" style="width: 800px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-69352">I’ve been asked whether electric cars were a disruptive innovation. For those of you who don’t know the history of innovation, let me introduce you to the “Jamais Contente (“Forever unsatisfied” literally), which broke the 100kph speed record near the Fulmen factories in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France in … 1899 [photo in public domain]</figcaption></figure>As I felt like tackling the topic of disruptive innovation, I thought it would be interesting to revisit an article by Joanne Jacobs from a few years ago about this subject: ‘Are we in a disruptive bubble?‘.

In this piece, she explains what role disruptive innovation is playing in contemporary markets. She argues that disruption is not just a fad, but something more profound.

Forget all about unicorns, here come the centaurs! Bessemer Venture Partners – State of the Cloud 2022The hype surrounding disruptive innovation is overwhelming. Here is what I found here and there:

• Disruptive innovation is deemed to impact businesses and employment . with all-out automation a major source of job destruction;


• Integration of productive innovation is supposed to have enabled some companies to reinvent themselves ;


• Organisations are said to be reshaped through the introduction of collaborative networked business approaches ;


• Profound changes in traditional markets (as for banks for example).

A spanner in the works

Despite this, and the spectacular performance of some companies that have established themselves in just a few years to the point of throwing a spanner in the works of well established markets and provoking defensive reactions, some observers maintain that we are facing an innovation bubble.

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_82673" style="width: 1360px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-82673">Disruption: bubble or not bubble? – image Midjourney</figcaption></figure>

And these same observers point out that the expectations they have of these disruptive innovations are not in proportion to what they could deliver.

And when expectations exceed what innovation can deliver, disappointment occurs. As described by Gartner in its “Hype Cycle” with what the US analyst group calls “The trough of disillusionment“.

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1100" style="width: 731px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1100">Here the Gartner Hype Cycle of 2008 technologies</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_69203" style="width: 1100px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-69203">And the 2021 update. In the meantime many of the key groundbreaking technological innovations of the 2000s have fallen by the wayside, to be replaced by other, more trendy ones. With AI at the height of the current craze and without Web 3 (even Gartner have given up on it even though they wrote a favourable report on it).</figcaption></figure>

Disruption strategy: not just a buzzword

“The reality is that business disruption is not a fad. It is not a set of buzzwords you need to use in planning meetings, and it is not a way of positioning a brand in the marketplace. ,” explains Joanne Jacobs.

In her view, the only real break is the one that results from the convergence of