The fear of heights in new S-curves

S-curves are a somewhat complicated but decent explanation of what reinventing business models should look like. They represent the idea that regardless of the industry you operate in, the business model you employ has a shelf life. As you come close to the end of that shelf life, you must make the jump to a different model to ensure that you sustain an acceptable growth rate.

Although it looks seductive on paper, correctly identifying that you are approaching the end of your current S-curve and finding the new one to jump to is definitely easier said than done. With the ever-increasing pace of technological change and its impact on industries and business models, companies are increasingly forced to look for new S-curves higher and higher on the growth scale. As mentioned in the title, the fear of heights brought on by higher-elevation S-curves requires a proactive approach.