Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating Inovation by Paul Nunes, Larry Downes

In the age of disruption, businesses must arm themselves with a plan that encompasses creative strategies to succeed in the face of powerful and sudden changes. Paul Nunes’s book, Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating Innovation, explores the ways organizations must transform their approach to competition in order to not just survive, but thrive amidst creative destruction.

Big Bang Disruption explores how executives must consider a different set of assumptions associated with the “age of disruption” and how these assumptions differ drastically from the traditional business mindset. Nunes begins the book by discussing the concept of an innovation “tipping point,” when disruptive forces have the potential to burst onto the scene and alter expectations within an industry.

Nunes identifies three core features of disruptive innovation that businesses must keep in mind: speed, scale, and scope. Speed refers to the quickness with which an innovation can spread from one market to the next. Scale explains the sheer size of the disruption, the ability to alter an entire industry in a short span of time. Lastly, scope defines the reach of the disruption, allowing it to become a major factor in other markets and industries in addition to its original application.

The book continues to explore how businesses can prepare for and survive against this overpowering force. Nunes outlines five strategies that executives must take in order to traverse the dangerous landscape of disruption: (1) find ways to lower costs without sacrificing quality, (2) build an understanding of the potential disruption, (3) act quickly to avoid surprise, (4) react to the disruption and find ways to capitalize on new opportunities, and (5) accept the new reality and plan accordingly. Executives must also go beyond the day-to-day tactics to explore the overall structure and culture of the business and how it can react to and take advantage of change.

Big Bang Disruption also provides readers with case studies to illustrate how companies around the world are using new strategies to compete in the face of disruption. Nunes examines the success and failures of firms like Netflix, Uber, and Tesla, while also assessing the potential impact of emerging technologies, such as autonomous driving and virtual reality.

Overall, Big Bang Disruption provides a complete system of strategies and examples that any business can use to compete in a world of disruption. By arming themselves with the understanding, speed, and flexibility necessary to survive the “age of disruption,” executives can use the strategies provided to both protect existing business models and find ways to capitalize on the exciting opportunities that this age will undoubtedly provide.



For businesses hoping to thrive amidst the continually changing landscape of disruption, Paul Nunes’ Big Bang Disruption is an invaluable source of guidance. Whether readers work with a small startup or a global firm, the strategies and examples provided in the book make it an essential part of any organization’s arsenal of resources for developing an effective strategy in the age of disruptive innovation.