The class intends to address specific challenges: 1) The challenges facing businesses are strongly rate-limited by the translation problems of new ideas, and inventions often do not make it into the market place or are disrupted at multiple levels in ways that are generally unpredictable; 2) The challenge of understanding how disruptive innovations take place in the context of the larger frame of translation. The concept of translation can be cast as the following equation, which will be discussed in the class: Innovation = (Inventiona+ C) × Translationb (Where a, b, and C are greater than zero) In light of these challenges, this class will address the following strategic questions and use it to propose a framework for innovation that will increase the probability of successful translation. The class will attempt to address the following questions and extract the principles for enabling translation. 1. What is Translation and why is it necessary? (Examples of Translation from the instructors and visiting lecturers) 2. What does it take for Translation that connects concepts to reality to succeed? 3. What factors prevent Translation from succeeding? 4. What general theoretical framework can we construct to encompass the various types of disruptive innovation?
2 units · GSB Letter Graded
The class intends to address specific challenges: 1) The challenges facing businesses are strongly rate-limited by the translation problems of new ideas, and inventions often do not make it into the market place or are disrupted at multiple levels in ways that are generally unpredictable; 2) The challenge of understanding how disruptive innovations take place in the context of the larger frame of translation. The concept of translation can be cast as the following equation, which will be discussed in the class: Innovation = (Inventiona+ C) × Translationb (Where a, b, and C are greater than zero) In light of these challenges, this class will address the following strategic questions and use it to propose a framework for innovation that will increase the probability of successful translation. The class will attempt to address the following questions and extract the principles for enabling translation. 1. What is Translation and why is it necessary? (Examples of Translation from the instructors and visiting lecturers) 2. What does it take for Translation that connects concepts to reality to succeed? 3. What factors prevent Translation from succeeding? 4. What general theoretical framework can we construct to encompass the various types of disruptive innovation?
Offered in Spring 2026 at Stanford University.