Some of you wrote back asking if Clayton’s theory applies to the modern giants too, and are they as susceptible as their predecessors. I thought it was an excellent question; let’s explore it together.

Who are the modern giants?

FAANG (Facebook-Apple-Amazon-Netflix-Google) or FAAMG (Facebook -Apple-Amazon-Microsoft-Google) are the common acronyms that describe the most valuable tech companies of our era.

Are they very different from the giants of the past?

I feel that modern giants are built differently in a few ways. They have certainly learned from the mistakes of their predecessors, and have improved significantly in many areas.

But are they still vulnerable to the curse of Clayton’s theory of Disruptive Innovation?

Because they can’t see.

In the biblical story of David and Goliath, David is a small shepherd boy who fights the tall and the mighty giant Goliath; he defeats him with nothing but a sling and a few rocks. Malcom Gladwell, in his book David and Goliath, explores an alternate theory behind the ancient parable.

That David was never the underdog. That Goliath never stood a chance.

Tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.

Even the structure of tennis, the way the pieces fit inside one another like Russian nesting dolls, mimics the structure of our days. Points become games become sets become tournaments, and it’s all so tightly connected that any point can become the turning point. It reminds me of the way seconds become minutes become hours, and any hour can be our finest. Or darkest. It’s our choice.

From Open: An Autobiography by Agassi, Andre.

If you are a powerlifter, you can’t get stronger if you don’t work on your weaker muscle. So goes the saying that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

Conventional wisdom suggests that one should strive to become a well-rounded person. Have a few strengths, but work on your weaknesses, at least until you become slightly above average in that area.

Peter Drucker in his fantastic book Managing Oneself recommends exactly the opposite.

The only way to overcome your fear is to go through it.

I came across this fantastic documentary called Ten Meter Tower. Its a video of a bunch of Swedish people jumping off a 10-meter (33 foot) tower. None of these participants have ever jumped from such a height before. Jumping from that height is like jumping from the 3rd floor of your building. Needless to say, it’s quite high.