Up until about 20 years ago, it was simply another, somewhat uncommon way to speak about interference. Now, “disruption” is a thing each of us knowingly permits, and that purported leaders both intend and seek — without really asking whether there is some value worth preserving in whatever order we’re upsetting.
To disrupt is the raison d’etre of seemingly every startup. The rowdy children of the business world, startups are eager to disrupt for the sake of it. Merely improving upon a product or service seems weak in comparison to upending an existing industry. There is even a tech conference called Disrupt, offering a Silicon Valley American Idol for hopeful moguls with a side of hype and occasional outbursts of casual misogyny.
