Google. eBay. Amazon. And Facebook? These companies have been phenomenal business successes. But, how were they created? How are they managed? Can anyone systematically create a Google, an eBay, an Amazon, or a Facebook? Right now, it’s improbable. However, the odds for success are increasing.

In this posting, I briefly present my lens for looking at the black box of creating companies that achieve extraordinary disruptive innovation success. In storytelling or narrative about extraordinary business success, I prefer to talk about an Epic Business Journey, of which the protagonist is a business founder/leader/CEO.

I’ve observed that the archetypal journey of extraordinary success especially in disruptive innovation can be described by the three acts of the protagonist (‘Constrictor’). The antagonist or set of mature (sustaining innovators)/competitors/rivals/enemies in the journey is referred to as the ‘Alligator.’ The Epic Business Journey is similar to the quintessential battle between the Anaconda and the Alligator in the Amazon jungle.

Here’s the structure of the journey:

THE EPIC BUSINESS (CONSTRICTOR) JOURNEY

Act 1: Hugging the Alligator

Act 2: Dancing with the Alligator

Act 3: Constricting the Alligator

In Act 1, the protagonist has to cross the threshold of the “Customer Validation Cleft.” There must be a “Problem-Solution” fit. Targeted customers - such as visionary customers and early adopters in an overserved market/a domain of non-customers - must validate whether the problem that the protagonist has identified is a BUMP: Big Urgent Market Problem. Many (venture-funded) startups die in Act 1. Nevertheless, once a problem-solution or market -product fit is obtained and evidenced by a ‘hockey stick’ growth of customers, the protagonist proceeds to Act 2 which involves discovery, optimization, and validation of a scalable disruptive innovation business model.

In Act 2, the protagonist must cross what Geoffrey Moore calls a “Chasm” and start winning the bulk of mainstream customers. In Act 3, the disruptive model is scaled and made more defensible. The Alligator or set of competitors is virtually made irrelevant. This Epic Business Journey is followed, for example, by Google, eBay, Amazon, Facebook, and many other extraordinarily successful companies.

Each act of the epic journey involves repeated turning of a Value Innovation (VI) Learning Wheel. The VI Learning Wheel has 5 spokes. The protagonist rapidly spins the VI Learning Wheel until the milestones for a particular act are achieved. I’d like to note that the protagonist is a master of operating the VI-Learning Wheel, the spokes of which can be described using the acronym, “Q.O.N.E.S”

* Q: Questioning

* O: Observing (Mapping/Modeling)

* N: Networking (Teaming)

* E: Experimenting (Prototyping/Testing)
... e.g., What if we eliminate/reduce/increase/create ... elements of
the Alligator's design, needs, and aspirations?

* S: Synthesizing (Learning/Associating)

The VI Learning Wheel is the core instrument of the protagonist and subsequently, the business. For an epic journey in disruptive innovation, the DNA Map of the protagonist as well as the business is visually summarized in a presentation below:

http://www.slideshare.net/RodKing/personal-and-business-dna-maps-fo... 

The DNA Maps could serve as blueprints for protagonists and businesses that are embarking on an Epic Business Journey of Disruptive Innovation. A word of caution though. As Alfred Korzybski once said, "The map is not the territory."

Your feedback would be appreciated.

Best,
Rod.