RedBalloon was not the first business idea I had – but as I look back now I realise that of all the ideas I had, it was the one that inspired me, that I was passionate about, that I could see myself making a difference with. As I learned later when I did a Harvard Business course, the idea was a ‘disruptive’ innovation. It brought a new product to an existing market delivering it cost effectively and quickly – and the incumbent dominant gift retailers would not have noticed us on the horizon coming to market. (Probably still haven’t). It is the same with the Hegs business (Pegs with Hooks)– a disruption, a much better product, that lasts and has numerous benefits – I’m sure the existing peg manufacturers don’t see them coming – it is relatively small so why would they. It is the same with Redii.com it has found it’s time – and it is disrupting large enterprise businesses that are not interested in selling to small to medium businesses.
Disruption and innovation are pervasive – change in inevitable – you can be at the source of this change on innovation – or you can be a ‘victim’ of it. Banking, education, medicine there is nothing that won’t be looked at, reviewed and potentially be upgraded – even the very notion of working 9 to 5 for one employer for an entire career being dismantled. The one thing I say to my children is ‘life is not linear – be interested, curious and flexible and you will find your place in the world’. That could probably work for all of us.
Innovation is a continual. So there are plenty of blogs in the space.