CHAPTER 3

Identifying Overshot Customers

AT THE HEART OF the disruptive innovation model is the concept of overshooting, that is, providing too much performance for a given group of customers. Remember, the model holds that companies innovate faster than people’s lives can change to take advantage of the advances those companies provide. As companies innovate, products or services that were previously not good enough become perfectly adequate; ultimately, they become too good for a given group of customers.

Overshooting has several important implications. Typically, it opens the door for another company to change the game by competing on previously ignored dimensions of performance, such as convenience or customization. Overshooting can create ...

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