Hello Innovator!

When we think about disruption, often the first thing that comes to mind is unseating the incumbent competition. But what if we told you there’s another way? Instead of competing against the incumbents, compete against…nothing.

Here’s what you’ll find:

• This Week’s Article: To Win, Compete Against Nothing

• Share This: The Four Elements of Disruption Through Non-Consumers

• Case Study: How Jumia Built Africa’s E-commerce Value Network from Scratch

To Win, Compete Against Nothing

Big companies love to fight over the same shrinking pie. They tweak products, add features no one asked for, and aim to squeeze every last dollar from existing customers.

It’s safe. It’s predictable. And it’s the reason disruptors win, time and again.

There’s a better way. One that’s not about trying to outdo everyone else by repeating the same tactics and features.

It’s about doing something different.
It’s about pulling growth from places incumbents don’t even look…

Non-consumers.

Nonconsumption Is the Blind Spot You Can Exploit

Nonconsumption isn’t about underserved markets—it’s about unserved markets. People or businesses who aren’t buying anything at all because current options to solve their job-to-be-done are too expensive, too complex, or flat-out irrelevant.

Look back at last week’s edition. Taylor Swift didn’t become the mega-star she is today with an army of Swifties behind her by convincing country music fans to buy her debut album. She recognized that her new, young audience couldn’t relate to the themes of traditional country music sung by older men. She rose to stardom by converting a younger audience who previously didn’t listen to country music at all.

As we discussed last week, this is textbook disruption.
Taylor Swift created a market that didn’t previously exist.

You can too. Here’s how…

Find the Job They Can’t Get Done

Remember, you’re not just selling a product. You’re helping someone do something they couldn’t accomplish before because they lack the skill or the financial resources.

Look at what people are struggling with.
Look at places where emotion bleeds into day-to-day work.
And build to solve that.

This moment of discovery is where lean customer development becomes essential. Instead of making assumptions about what customers want, get out of the building and engage with them directly. Early conversations with potential users help validate whether a widespread problem actually exists, and if it’s painful enough for people to pay to solve it. (You are building a business, after all.) This approach cuts through internal guesswork by focusing on real-world feedback, not internal brainstorming sessions.

In the world of nonconsumption, this method is especially powerful. You’re not just tweaking a product to align to existing demand. You’re uncovering hidden needs and designing solutions that give people access to something they’ve never had before.