Disrupt or be Disrupted

In London today hundreds of black cabs slowed traffic protesting the onslaught of competition faced by Uber and its fleet of citizen drivers. You can read about the whole episode here. While amusing (though futile; Uber offered first time riders 20 pounds (~$33 USD) off their first ride) this recent protest should strike a chord with businesses everywhere. What is the message? Disrupt or be Disrupted.

That is precisely what Kinetech enables our clients and partners to do. Everywhere you look established industries are being disrupted by innovations in information technology. Here are a few obvious examples:

Banking - gone are the days of going to a brick and mortar bank to deposit a check. Why even seek out an ATM when you can do deposit straight from your smartphone with USAA or Charles Schwab?

Movie rentals - see you later Blockbuster Video. By seeing the tide of change too late, Blockbuster was put out of business by Netflix (mail DVD at first, then streaming).

Retail - Walmart has finally met its match in the Jeff Bezos created beast that is Amazon. One-click purchasing, need I say more?

Auto-industry - If you have not heard of Tesla, you will soon. This electric only auto manufacturer is disrupting the high-end luxury car space like never before. This industry hasn't seen this much innovation since the Model T Ford. Then again, the world hasn't seen an entrepreneur or visionary like Elon Musk.

Cab Industry - Why call a dispatcher and wait for a cab that may not show up in time when I can Uber one via my smartphone and track the drivers progress (and receive a pleasant text alert when they arrive)? Uber has really hit the sweet spot with Information Technology, Social Media, and Customer service, and the consumer is the one who benefits.

If you do not embrace the sea of change that information technology will bring to your industry, you better start looking for a new career. At this point, it is not a matter of IF, but just a matter of when...