n bsnss thry, dsrptv nnvtn s nnvtn tht crts nw mrkt nd vl ntwrk r ntrs t th bttm f n xstng mrkt nd vntlly dsplcs stblshd mrkt-ldng frms, prdcts, nd llncs. Th trm, "dsrptv nnvtn" ws pplrzd by th mrcn cdmc Clytn Chrstnsn nd hs cllbrtrs bgnnng n 1995, bt th cncpt hd bn prvsly dscrbd n Rchrd N. Fstr's bk "nnvtn: Th ttckr's dvntg" nd n th ppr Strtgc Rspnss t Tchnlgcl Thrts , s wll s by Jsph Schmptr n Cptlsm, Sclsm nd Dmcrcy (s crtv dstrctn).
Nt ll nnvtns r dsrptv, vn f thy r rvltnry. Fr xmpl, th frst tmbls n th lt 19th cntry wr nt dsrptv nnvtn, bcs rly tmbls wr xpnsv lxry tms tht dd nt dsrpt th mrkt fr hrs-drwn vhcls. Th mrkt fr trnsprttn ssntlly rmnd ntct ntl th dbt f th lwr-prcd Frd Mdl T n 1908. Th mss-prdcd tmbl ws dsrptv nnvtn, bcs t chngd th trnsprttn mrkt, whrs th frst thrty yrs f tmbls dd nt.
Dsrptv nnvtns tnd t b prdcd by tsdrs nd ntrprnrs n strtps, rthr thn xstng mrkt-ldng cmpns. Th bsnss nvrnmnt f mrkt ldrs ds nt llw thm t prs dsrptv nnvtns whn thy frst rs, bcs thy r nt prftbl ngh t frst nd bcs thr dvlpmnt cn tk scrc rsrcs wy frm sstnng nnvtns (whch r ndd t cmpt gnst crrnt cmpttn). Smll tms r mr lkly t crt dsrptv nnvtns thn lrg tms. dsrptv prcss cn tk lngr t dvlp thn by th cnvntnl pprch nd th rsk ssctd wth t s hghr thn th thr mr ncrmntl, rchtctrl r vltnry frms f nnvtns, bt nc t s dplyd n th mrkt, t chvs mch fstr pntrtn nd hghr dgr f mpct n th stblshd mrkts.
Bynd bsnss nd cnmcs dsrptv nnvtns cn ls b cnsdrd t dsrpt cmplx systms, ncldng cnmc nd bsnss-rltd spcts. Thrgh dntfyng nd nlyzng systms fr pssbl pnts f ntrvntn, n cn thn dsgn chngs fcsd n dsrptv ntrvntns.