Finding Power
An introduction to Clay Christensen’s most underrated idea: “The Conservation of Modularity”
People think strategy is about profit, but really, it’s about power. Profit is just the prize.
And if you want to understand the nature of power in business — where it comes from, how to create it, how to sustain it — probably the best place to start is Clay Christensen’s “Law of Conservation of Modularity,” a massively underrated idea from his second book, The Innovator’s Solution.
It’s pretty obscure compared to Christensen’s other hit theories, like “disruptive innovation” and “jobs to be done.” I think this is because the theory can be somewhat abstract and technical, making it hard to understand. (Don’t worry — in this article I do my best to make it engaging and intuitive! 😅)