Change is constant. Understanding Change Requires Context. Context requires clarity above all else.
Disruption, Decoded: What Every Social Entrepreneur Must Know
Why it matters: We’re living in a moment unlike any in human history. Five foundational sectors — energy, transportation, food, information, and materials — are undergoing the fastest, deepest transformations in 10,000 years.
And social entrepreneurs? You’re at the front lines of this.
The Big Idea
Disruption isn’t just about better tech. It’s about entire systems breaking down and being replaced—fast. Think:
- Cars replacing horses (in just 13 years)
- EVs outpacing gas vehicles
- Solar becoming the cheapest power source in history
- Precision fermentation disrupting dairy and meat
These aren’t tweaks. They’re complete system overhauls.
How Disruption Works
- Equilibrium: Old systems coast along (gas cars, coal power, factory farming).
- Convergence: New tech + falling costs = new opportunity space.
- Early Movers: Entrepreneurs (not incumbents) act first.
- Rupture: Old rules break. Collapse begins.
- S-curve adoption: New systems scale fast.
- New equilibrium: A transformed world emerges.
Patterns to Watch
- S-curves, not straight lines: Adoption starts slow, then explodes.
- Business model beats tech: Uber didn’t invent cars—they redefined access.
- Collapse echoes growth: Coal, parking, factory farming—on borrowed time.
For Social Entrepreneurs
You’re not just building orgs — you’re building the future. To stay ahead:
- Think convergence: Combine tech (AI + mobility + clean energy).
- Follow cost curves: Cheaper tech unlocks new impact models.
- Disrupt the metrics: Rethink ROI: Value, resilience, regeneration.
- Design for phase change: Don’t fix the old. Build what’s next.
Bottom Line
The next 10 years might very well define the next 100.
If you’re working in climate, justice, food, energy, health, education — you’re not reacting to change.