Business Quote by Jacqueline Novogratz
“Even when early innovations start to succeed, it is not uncommon to see growing businesses sabotaged for threatening the status quo.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Power of Unreasonable People by Jacqueline Novogratz, 2015
When new ideas succeed, established firms may feel threatened and deliberately undermine them to protect their dominance.
In simple terms: Successful innovations can be sabotaged by incumbents protecting the status quo.
Key Takeaway
Beware of resistance from powerful interests.
Themes
power
innovation
status quo
competition
risk
Mood
cautious
strategic
realistic
Type
advisory
analytical
strategic
When to use this quote
- startup growth
- corporate strategy
- policy making
- investment decisions
Key Concepts
disruption
strategic sabotage
market dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can innovators anticipate and mitigate sabotage?
- What incentives could align incumbents with new ideas?
A Different Perspective
Resistance can stem from fear of loss rather than merit of the innovation.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
