Book Review: Innovator's Dilemma

Using the cycles of the computer hard drive industry, this book deals with the difficulties many companies face with innovation. Innovation is necessary to survive. However, innovation threatens the internal existing products of a company and its culture, especially innovative companies.

This book is a must read for anyone in technology-related fields. The book is very timely, with the impending bailout of the automobile industry, while silicon valley is still running strong. Will we see any bailouts for Microsoft? Why is Microsoft able to continue to innovate?

The book suggests several strategies for dealing with disruptive technologies, such as the internet was to retailing. Christensen does a great job of setting up a hypothesis and proving it with multiple examples. There is hope for entrenched cultures, but you must act before the little guy, with the "bad product", down the street beats you to the punch.