
10
CHAPTER TEN
How to Change
the Game
‘‘Change your thoughts and you change your world.’’
—N
ORMAN
V
INCENT
P
EALE
What do Polaroid, Xerox, Wal-Mart, Southwest Airlines,
Amazon, Avon, McDonald’s, and Apple Computer have in
common? The answer is that these companies are examples
of what Harvard professor Clay Christensen described as
disruptive technologies.
1
In each case, these companies
brought innovative ideas to market that transformed an in-
dustry. Polaroid changed photography, Xerox copying, Wal-
Mart retailing, Southwest air travel, Amazon book selling,
Avon cosmetic sales, McDonald’s food service, and Apple
personal computing. We call this changing the