Introduction. Disruptive Thinking: The Revolution Is in Full Swing

“We do not merely want to be the best of the best. We want to be the only ones who do what we do.”

—Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead1

The old mantra, “differentiate or die,” is no longer relevant. In fact, I’d argue that, today, there’s actually too much differentiation going on. By steadfastly clinging to the “differentiate or die” mantra, businesses large and small have made it extremely difficult for their customers (and prospective customers) to tell the difference between deep, meaningful change and shallow, superficial novelty. As a result, with an excess of similar offerings in the marketplace all claiming to be “different” (which, theoretically, was supposed to add value ...

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