--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mistake managers often make is…" description: "\"The mistake managers often make is defining their industry too narrowly. Digital's market share in the minicomputer market stayed very robust even as i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/clayton-christensen-2433_disruption_the-mistake-managers-often-make-is-defin_2112958.png" --- # The mistake managers often make is defining their industry… ![“The mistake managers often make is defining their industry too narrowly. Digital's market share in the minicomputer market stayed very robust even as it fell off the cliff. Disruption seems to come out of nowhere, but if you know what to look for, you can spot important developments well before…” quote by Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/clayton-christensen-2433_disruption_the-mistake-managers-often-make-is-defin_2112958.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/clayton-christensen-2433_disruption_the-mistake-managers-often-make-is-defin_2112958.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/clayton-christensen-2433_disruption_the-mistake-managers-often-make-is-defin_2112958.png) > “The mistake managers often make is defining their industry too narrowly. Digital's market share in the minicomputer market stayed very robust even as it fell off the cliff. Disruption seems to come out of nowhere, but if you know what to look for, you can spot important developments well before the market does.” [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Managers often limit their view of competition, missing broader market shifts that can lead to disruption. **In simple terms:** Narrow industry definitions blind managers to emerging threats. Key Takeaway Broaden market perspective to anticipate disruption. Themes strategy competition disruption vision Mood cautious analytical strategic Type advisory analytical When to use this quote - product development - investment decisions - risk assessment - strategic planning Key Concepts industry analysis market dynamics innovation strategic foresight Questions to Reflect On - How can you expand your industry definition? - What signals indicate emerging threats? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on current market may cause missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Digital Market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital-market-4274570/) [Disruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disruption/) [Disruption Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disruption-come-4274572/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Industry Narrowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry-narrowly-4274573/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Market share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market-share/) [Minicomputer Market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minicomputer-market-4274571/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/share/) ## Related quotes > [When you improve your product so it does the customer's job better, then you gain market share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/when-you-improve-your-product-so-it-does-the-customer-s-job-better/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Disruption is, at its core, a really powerful idea, but everyone hijacks the idea to do whatever they want now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/disruption-is-at-its-core-a-really-powerful-idea-but-everyone-hijacks/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [History is littered with great firms that got killed by disruption. Of course, the personal computer, a technology that first took root as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/history-is-littered-with-great-firms-that-got-killed-by-disruption-of/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Disruption is continuously afoot in every industry, but especially in autos. It is how Toyota, Nissan and Honda bloodied Detroit: They did not start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/disruption-is-continuously-afoot-in-every-industry-but-especially-in/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Because of the disruption phenomenon - technological progress outstripping the ability of customers to utilize it - the general tendency is for the money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/because-of-the-disruption-phenomenon-technological-progress/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [The important thing is that over time, scientific progress transforms things that used to have to be dealt with in a problem-solving mode down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/the-important-thing-is-that-over-time-scientific-progress-transforms/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Most companies think of disruption as a threat. But disruptive innovations have tremendous growth potential. If incumbent companies can learn how to harness the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/most-companies-think-of-disruption-as-a-threat-but-disruptive/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Generally, the technology that enables disruption is developed in the companies that are the practitioners of the original technology. That's where the understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/generally-the-technology-that-enables-disruption-is-developed-in-the/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [“markets, races for market share driven by network effects, the convergence of different industries, and head-to-head”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/markets-races-for-market-share-driven-by-network-effects-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is a fact that today steel can be made more cheaply outside America. This is also true of many other products: shoes, shirts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/it-is-a-fact-that-today-steel-can-be-made-more-cheaply-outside/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [If competitors don't like our two to one advantage, dominating market share with both SP and DS, well, I've got bad news. Because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-fils-aime/if-competitors-don-t-like-our-two-to-one-advantage-dominating-market/) [Reggie Fils-Aime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-fils-aime/) > [In general, great companies prefer to grow 'organically,' as Wall Street likes to say. That is, from the inside out, by finding new markets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/in-general-great-companies-prefer-to-grow-organically-as-wall-street/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [There are about 300,000 neighborhoods in the United States, and more than half of them have at least one millionaire living there. Most millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-stanley/there-are-about-300-000-neighborhoods-in-the-united-states-and-more/) [Thomas J. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-stanley/) > [“consolidation, coupled with a desire among the survivors to restore normal profit levels, helps to usher in an era of orderly competition based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-thain/consolidation-coupled-with-a-desire-among-the-survivors-to-restore/) [Greg Thain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-thain/) > [If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/) [Peter Cohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cohan/) ## More by Clayton Christensen > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [In our lives and in our careers, whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly navigating a path by deciding between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/in-our-lives-and-in-our-careers-whether-we-are-aware-of-it-or-not-we/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Many of the factors that we think will cause motivation, such as fair pay and a good manager, won't make you love your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/many-of-the-factors-that-we-think-will-cause-motivation-such-as-fair/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [People in private equity complain that they have so much capital and so few places to invest. 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I commend to all this same search for happiness and for the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/this-is-why-i-belong-and-why-i-believe-i-commend-to-all-this-same/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I think this is one reason why the Lord invented the Internet - so members can teach one another how to succeed in assignments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/i-think-this-is-one-reason-why-the-lord-invented-the-internet-so/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Because these firms listened to their customers, invested aggressively in new technologies that would provide their customers more and better products of the sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/because-these-firms-listened-to-their-customers-invested-aggressively/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [At the beginning of almost every industry, the available products and services are so expensive to own and complicated to use that only people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/at-the-beginning-of-almost-every-industry-the-available-products-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Management has to provide the coordinating mechanism between what the supplier provides and what the user needs in not-good-enough situations where product architecture is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/management-has-to-provide-the-coordinating-mechanism-between-what-the/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [When you're thinking about your next product or current product and wondering how to make it different so you don't have competition, understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/when-you-re-thinking-about-your-next-product-or-current-product-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) [Explore all 166 Clayton Christensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) ## More Disruption quotes > [The online education space, especially in higher education, is ripe for disruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/the-online-education-space-especially-in-higher-education-is-ripe-for/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) > [ \[Buckminster\] Fuller was an independent operator coming up with these madcap ways of combining things with absolutely no strings attached and the fact that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-keats/buckminster-fuller-was-an-independent-operator-coming-up-with-these/) [Jonathon Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-keats/) > [The concept of disruption is about competitive response; it is not a theory of growth. It's adjacent to growth. But it's not about growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/the-concept-of-disruption-is-about-competitive-response-it-is-not-a/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) > [“The history of the sexual vanguard in America was a long list of people who had been ridiculed, imprisoned, or subjected to violence. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-witt/the-history-of-the-sexual-vanguard-in-america-was-a-long-list-of/) [Emily Witt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-witt/) > [“The whole notion of disruption is adolescent: It assumes that after the teenagers make a mess, the adults will come and clean it up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-whole-notion-of-disruption-is-adolescent-it-assumes-that-after/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“Systemic disruption requires us to accept that there may be no measurable data to fully substantiate our understanding of those disruptions. Imaging and exploring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spitz/systemic-disruption-requires-us-to-accept-that-there-may-be-no/) [Roger Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spitz/) > [“Relevance is both an antidote to avoid and a method for driving disruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spitz/relevance-is-both-an-antidote-to-avoid-and-a-method-for-driving/) [Roger Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spitz/) > [Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it. It is a corrective to the sluggishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/protest-beyond-the-law-is-not-a-departure-from-democracy-it-is/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Change is inevitable, and the disruption it causes often brings both inconvenience and opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scoble/change-is-inevitable-and-the-disruption-it-causes-often-brings-both/) [Robert Scoble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scoble/) > [Civilization is in no immediate danger of running out of energy or even just out of oil. But we are running out of environment-that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-v-vaitheeswaran/civilization-is-in-no-immediate-danger-of-running-out-of-energy-or/) [Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-v-vaitheeswaran/) > [“Root cause of inequality is the mass scale digital disruption advantage as means of wealth creation is concentrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/root-cause-of-inequality-is-the-mass-scale-digital-disruption/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [Back in 2011, when the weekend maintenance disruptions got more aggressive, we were told that the work on weekends and at night and midday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-james-thomson/back-in-2011-when-the-weekend-maintenance-disruptions-got-more/) [Robert James Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-james-thomson/) > [The U.S. couldn't play a military role in different areas like Iraq and Afghanistan without huge quantities of oil. So a shortage or disruption…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-klare/the-u-s-couldn-t-play-a-military-role-in-different-areas-like-iraq/) [Michael Klare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-klare/) > [Making really great music, making really great films, writing great books is an antidote to all of that. And, as people, as artists, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/making-really-great-music-making-really-great-films-writing-great/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Our teachers are incredibly hardworking and dedicated professionals. Having to deal with unruly pupils and disruption on a daily basis adds to their workload…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-williamson/our-teachers-are-incredibly-hardworking-and-dedicated-professionals/) [Gavin Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-williamson/) [Browse all 259 Disruption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disruption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The mistake managers often make is defining their industry too narrowly. Digital's market share in the minicomputer market stayed very robust even as it fell off the cliff. 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