Disruptive Innovation

Biological Parallel

Disruptive innovation follows the pattern of invasive species entering marginal niches, then displacing incumbents. Rats arriving on islands initially scavenge beach debris (low-end foothold), then outcompete native birds for eggs and seeds (upmarket migration). Incumbents ignore marginal threats until invaders improve enough to threaten core territory. Mammals were small insectivores while dinosaurs dominated—until the K-T extinction created space for mammals to radiate and displace reptilian megafauna. Disruption is ecological displacement on fast-forward.