Glacier Quarterly 3 - 2018

SCENARIO PLANNING
A GOOD BREAK:
Tech reminds us that sometimes rules
are made to be broken
The appearance earlier this year of
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
before the European Parliament
reminds us of the company’s founding
motto: ‘Move fast and break things’.
It’s since become something of a
mantra for tech entrepreneurs who
believe disruption is key to innovation.
Normally, innovation within an
industry is incremental and the
industry evolves accordingly.
Disruption, on the other hand,
unsettles industry by replacing a
defining characteristic with something
completely new and more efficient.
So it’s both creative and destructive.
In a way, disruption is evolution
through revolution.
The ride-hailing apps Uber, Lyft and
Didi are classic cases in point, having
turned the traditional taxi industry
on its head.
What drives disruption?
But why are tech-based companies
so often the drivers of disruption?
Because they’re able to break rules.
That may sound counter-intuitive,
but remember, not all rules are the
same.
As all foxes should know, there are
written and unwritten rules in any
game. Written rules are laws and
regulations – the difference between
civilisation and anarchy.
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