Definition
To fundamentally alter an existing market or industry with a new approach. Every startup claims to 'disrupt' something, and 99% of them are just adding a mobile app to an existing business model.
Example Usage
We're disrupting the $50B recruiting industry by making hiring 10% faster, which is disruption if you squint.
Origin
Popularized by Clayton Christensen's 'The Innovator's Dilemma' (1997); now hopelessly overused.
Fun Fact
The word 'disrupt' has been so overused that actual innovations have to distance themselves from it to sound credible.
Source: Venture Capital and business innovation terminology
Related Terms
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See “Disrupt” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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