How do you transition from disruptive innovation to mainstream?

Start with a small customer base in a specific niche. Capture a large part of a small market first. This market should have users that desperately want what you do.

Transitioning from disruptive innovation to mainstream adoption involves several key steps: Identify market need, create a compelling value proposition, target early adopters, iterate and improve based on feedback, scale production and distribution, form partnerships, ensure regulatory compliance, invest in marketing and education, provide excellent customer support, and, over time, achieve mainstream acceptance.

The term mainstream will vary from market to market that is to highlight that markets will have nuances. Take the transport/ride hailing apps that began as car/suv service. In the developing Asian markets, the ride haling app that followed Uber, and that clicked and began to expand were the motorcycle rides like Angkas etc.These motorcycle ride services eventually expanded to delivery and pick-up services for goods/office documents/Medicines, and the like. They proved to be more effective and perhaps efficient in countries where the road network is not developed or has narrow passes and c where traffic jams are a daily occurrence, ie compared to the experience from trucks and medium to large cars/vehicles.

As you are thinking of the niche you will be targeting, it is very important to align your business product to GTM. This alignment becomes one of the most important aspects for success. Another important consideration when designing product is to watch out for any “change in behaviors” needed on customers part. It’s very difficult to change behaviors.

Using 2 old economic terms ie accelerator and multiplier effects. The first part is to accelerate your market reach by partnering like-minded companies. Once you have built the partnership network, it gives you the multiplier effect of reaching out to more. Smart and amazing win-win strategy.

Building trust and credibility has several essential steps but is also a cycle the most important I believe is; CX - Customer Experience This isn't just about the pre purchase touch points, but also about the experience during their interactions with an individual or business. The interactions between your business and your customer need to be personal and have fast response times. If you're also delivering a service direct to a customer, this needs to be personal and cater to their values and desires (i.e. Travel). Then post product purchase or experience, you need to be providing a great follow up and potentially rewards / loyalty programmes! All this = great reviews, good marketing material, great brand equity, trust & credibility.

This is especially important. People are, by nature, resistant to change. Forming partnerships with existing brands and stakeholders is essential because (1) it increases brand awareness, (2) you get to leverage on the existing credibility they already have in the eyes of the consumers.

To pivot from disruption to mainstream dominance, trust is non-negotiable. It isn't just about groundbreaking solutions; it's about consistency, reliability, and integrity in every interaction. Think of it as a handshake every time you engage. For instance, when Uber moved to new cities, it wasn’t just the app's convenience that won over riders. It was also their commitment to align with local standards and collaborate with key stakeholders. Your innovation draws them in; your trustworthiness makes them stay.

Innovating continuously is critical to bringing an idea to life and then growing it towards impact. It is important to continue harnessing the creative mindset to build onto it or adapt it the ever changing needs of the consumer and external factors. The changes/adaption can be permanent (like the AirBnB example) or temporary — for example, during the pandemic, some restaurants launched “DIY” cooking boxes with the recipes for their dishes and provided consumers with the ingredients. This was an ingenious way to continue earning during a global closure AND keeping consumers engaged. Innovating continuously and being agile is required to be a (continuous) leader

Learn from user experience rather than user ideas or comments. Learn why something may be working, sometimes its totally different of what you expected and then you can innovate in the second product. For instance, edreams (flights browser) included some hotels or rentals to complete the package and increased the opportunity of sell for a buyer, but, it stills come as a second offer after you book the main flight as a way of easing the pain for the customer to open new apps or tabs in the browser and also package it to a price that has a huge margin but now it is more difficult to know if it is the discount on the plane or the hotel (same thing telecom operators do with bundles on tv+internet+5G, etc.)

To transition from disruptive to mainstream, keep innovation at the heart of your operations. It's not about occasional sparks of brilliance, but a sustained drive to meet ever-changing customer needs. Think of it like sharpening a pencil; the more you use it, the more frequently it needs honing. As you grow, staying stagnant isn't an option. Let's look at Airbnb: initially focused on spare rooms, they expanded to experiences, adventures, and luxury spaces in response to diverse customer desires. It is always important to listen, adapt, and evolve.

Every initiative need not be a 0 to 1 innovation. The 1 to N Innovations infact are essential to maintain the competitive advantage which a 0 to 1 gives

Transitioning from disruptive to mainstream demands more than just growth; it requires purposeful scaling. As you expand, it's essential to maintain the essence of what made you disruptive initially. Instead of just increasing numbers, focus on smart strategies. For example, Uber didn't just increase their fleet, they diversified their offerings with options like UberPOOL and UberEATS. As you scale, ask: “Is this aligned with our core vision?” Efficient scaling isn’t just growth, it’s growth with intention.

Before scaling, dominate a small market and create raving fans. Raving fans are created by delivering super high quality to this niche market. At this point you can learn and scale.

Disruptive innovation depends on disrupting the status quo and developing a better way of getting the customers’ job done. It ends up displacing industries and changing internal dynamics but beyond disruption lies market creating innovations that open up totally new markets that have never been explored before and leads to further collaboration in existing and allied sectors. Eg: UPI (Unified Payments Interface): UPI, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, simplified digital payments. It promoted collaboration among banks, fintech companies, and merchants, leading to a surge in cashless transactions and financial inclusion.

In the journey from disruptive to mainstream, foster symbiotic relationships with existing market titans. Adopt a stance that doesn't just challenge but also complements the ecosystem. Take a leaf from Amazon's playbook: once a disruptor, it forged alliances with vendors and publishers, turning potential adversaries into allies. As you expand, mirror this tactic to turn synergy into your strongest asset, cementing a position that's both influential and sustainable in the marketplace.

To thrive mainstream, foster a culture similar to a keen apprentice: alert, agile, and adaptive. Just as a toolmaker refines his craft, embrace changes with grace, absorbing vital industry cues and customer insights. It is important to adapt, and carve a path of enduring success.

It is very difficult to innovate with larger companies. The way to handle this is to innovate at the edge of the enterprise and not the core. Find internal 'friendlies' and people what are not afraid of change. If you don't you will have to deal with the corporate immune system which doesn't want to change the status quo.

Transitioning from disruptive innovation to mainstream success is like teaching a rock 'n' roll squirrel ballet – it sounds crazy, but with the right moves, you'll have everyone tapping their toes! First, shimmy out of the niche and into the spotlight by maintaining what made you unique while dialing up the user-friendliness. Then, groove your way into the hearts of the masses by showing them how your innovation fits seamlessly into their lives. It's all about keeping the rhythm of disruption while waltzing your way into the mainstream spotlight!

1. Reevaluate your pricing strategy. The pricing that worked in a niche market may not be suitable for the mainstream. You might need to offer various pricing tiers or discounts to cater to a wider range of customers. For example, Uber started with a black car service then added service and pricing options that cater for different customer segments. 2. Partner with other businesses. Partnering with other businesses can help you reach a wider audience and gain access to new markets. Look for businesses that complement your product or service and that have a strong presence in the mainstream market.