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Goliath's Revenge: How Established Companies Turn the Tables on Digital Disruptors
Harness your company’s incumbent advantages to win the digital disruption game Goliath’s Revenge is the practical guide for how executives and aspiring leaders of established companies can run the Silicon Valley playbook for themselves and capitalize on digital disruption. Technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, internet of things, blockchain, and immersive experiences are changing the basis of competition in every industry. New competitors are emerging while traditional ones are falling behind. Periods of intense change provide remarkable opportunities. Goliath’s Revenge delivers an insider’s view of how industry leaders like General Motors, NASA, The Weather Channel, Hitachi, Mastercard, Proctor & Gamble, Penn Medicine, Discovery, and Cisco are accelerating innovation, building new skills, and disrupting themselves to come out stronger in this post-digital age. Learn how to leverage your company’s scale, reach, data, and expertise to launch breakthrough offerings that fend off attackers and secure your position as a future industry leader. Using real success cases and recommendations, this invaluable resource shows how to realign your business model, reset your talent development priorities, and retake market share lost to digital-ready competitors. Drawing from extensive experience in digital transformation, leadership development, and strategic planning, the authors show how established companies can switch from defense to offense to thrive in this new digital environment. Goliath’s Revenge is a must-read for business leaders and innovators in small, mid-sized, and large organizations trying to win the digital disruption game. This book helps you reset both your company strategy and professional development priorities for long-term success.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published February 12, 2019
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473 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 25, 2020
Change Management: Overcoming Subversive Deception
Given the recent history, and the apparent ineptitude of CEOs who failed to heed the warning signs, only a fool would underestimate the potential of a digital disruption to turn their industry upside down.
I read this book, Goliath’s Revenge, wondering how the authors would approach the topic of digital disruption. In summary, it describes how established businesses (and professionals with established careers) can stop focusing on the perceived threat and start recognizing the unique advantages of their established market position.
Their basic assertion is that by following ‘six rules of innovation’ savvy business leaders can reset their company’s strategy -- plus their own career path -- to become a digital disruptor and thereby create a meaningful and substantive leadership position in the marketplace.
The notion that the guidance within the pages of this book can teach any open-minded business leader how to apply digital disruption to their advantage is very compelling. Todd Hewlin and Scott Snyder build the business case for bottom-up and top-down organization transformation to achieve the stated goals and reinvent a legacy commercial enterprise.
Within the eleven chapters of the book, the authors present a thoughtfully researched methodology for understanding and planning to execute their ‘six rules’ that will guide business leaders along the path of this exciting journey -- with the ultimate destination being the development of a ‘Disruptor’s Playbook’.
I found Chapter 11, “Career View: Disrupt Yourself,” to be the most insightful description of the true depth and breadth of the transformation challenge within many very large organizations. On the surface, it seems logical that every employee in a leadership position would want to prioritize the roles that they should pursue, the essential skills they should develop and the personal plan they should execute to maximize their professional impact.
However, this presumptive perspective doesn’t appreciate the reality of the huge challenge within many legacy enterprise organizations. There will be many folks who find the prospect of changing the status quo to be unthinkable. There are those who will resist change as an individual. There are clusters of employees who will collectively resist change. Moreover, they will most likely be the passive-aggressive types that are subversive in their deceptive actions.
Few CEOs would define their own corporate culture as one that perpetuates institutionalized mediocrity, but that’s the root of their inability to act like a start-up organization. My point: the Silicon Valley start-up model is founded on the careful selection of human talent that willingly embraces a vision to create a product that’s truly remarkable. No subversives are on that team.
Throughout my own career, I’ve underestimated the degree to which some people will go to avoid changing their own behavior and evolving their skills for the future that awaits them.
Instead of aspiring to really improve themselves, they’ll choose to fabricate the facade of an individual that’s always ‘on-board’ with whatever the executive leadership team mandates. But they have no intention of changing. They’ll go to all the required ‘innovation training’ classes, yet make no effort to apply what they’ve learned. Why? Maybe they’re overcome by fear of the unknown.
That said, how do you expose and effectively deal with these subversive detractors? Perhaps that’s the missing Chapter 12 in this book that would have made it complete for me. Regardless, I fully support the belief that you’re better off having the ‘how to’ guidance and practical templates that this book offers its readers. Kudos to messrs Hewlin and Snyder.
Given the recent history, and the apparent ineptitude of CEOs who failed to heed the warning signs, only a fool would underestimate the potential of a digital disruption to turn their industry upside down.
I read this book, Goliath’s Revenge, wondering how the authors would approach the topic of digital disruption. In summary, it describes how established businesses (and professionals with established careers) can stop focusing on the perceived threat and start recognizing the unique advantages of their established market position.
Their basic assertion is that by following ‘six rules of innovation’ savvy business leaders can reset their company’s strategy -- plus their own career path -- to become a digital disruptor and thereby create a meaningful and substantive leadership position in the marketplace.
The notion that the guidance within the pages of this book can teach any open-minded business leader how to apply digital disruption to their advantage is very compelling. Todd Hewlin and Scott Snyder build the business case for bottom-up and top-down organization transformation to achieve the stated goals and reinvent a legacy commercial enterprise.
Within the eleven chapters of the book, the authors present a thoughtfully researched methodology for understanding and planning to execute their ‘six rules’ that will guide business leaders along the path of this exciting journey -- with the ultimate destination being the development of a ‘Disruptor’s Playbook’.
I found Chapter 11, “Career View: Disrupt Yourself,” to be the most insightful description of the true depth and breadth of the transformation challenge within many very large organizations. On the surface, it seems logical that every employee in a leadership position would want to prioritize the roles that they should pursue, the essential skills they should develop and the personal plan they should execute to maximize their professional impact.
However, this presumptive perspective doesn’t appreciate the reality of the huge challenge within many legacy enterprise organizations. There will be many folks who find the prospect of changing the status quo to be unthinkable. There are those who will resist change as an individual. There are clusters of employees who will collectively resist change. Moreover, they will most likely be the passive-aggressive types that are subversive in their deceptive actions.
Few CEOs would define their own corporate culture as one that perpetuates institutionalized mediocrity, but that’s the root of their inability to act like a start-up organization. My point: the Silicon Valley start-up model is founded on the careful selection of human talent that willingly embraces a vision to create a product that’s truly remarkable. No subversives are on that team.
Throughout my own career, I’ve underestimated the degree to which some people will go to avoid changing their own behavior and evolving their skills for the future that awaits them.
Instead of aspiring to really improve themselves, they’ll choose to fabricate the facade of an individual that’s always ‘on-board’ with whatever the executive leadership team mandates. But they have no intention of changing. They’ll go to all the required ‘innovation training’ classes, yet make no effort to apply what they’ve learned. Why? Maybe they’re overcome by fear of the unknown.
That said, how do you expose and effectively deal with these subversive detractors? Perhaps that’s the missing Chapter 12 in this book that would have made it complete for me. Regardless, I fully support the belief that you’re better off having the ‘how to’ guidance and practical templates that this book offers its readers. Kudos to messrs Hewlin and Snyder.
August 25, 2019
The authors hypothesise that big and traditional companies have an excellent opportunity to take advantage fo the digital disruption over to the silicon valley natives to succeed. And how the reinvention of GE and P&G are living examples to prove it.
To their benefit, they develop a complete tool-kit of steps for any CEO to apply in her company and succeed in the digital age. Unfortunately is a classical consultant-receipt with zero chances to be employed in a real living corporation:
.- None of the sample company stories they bring were successful thanks to the application of this magical formula.
.- As usual, they confound correlation (these successful companies did this and that) with causation (they do not necessarily succeed for these actions)
.- "If GE or P&G did it, you could do it too" is a too stretched logic.
.- Activate this +100 (highly complex) actions and set 17 meetings per year, and you are good to go. -Definitively they do not show a single clue on how change management is deployed in big complex corporations.
.- Finally, to note the misleading of the book cover, David defeated Goliath in the Old Testament, hitting him with rock with a sling, not with a spring
You can wait for the paperback, or skip this one.
To their benefit, they develop a complete tool-kit of steps for any CEO to apply in her company and succeed in the digital age. Unfortunately is a classical consultant-receipt with zero chances to be employed in a real living corporation:
.- None of the sample company stories they bring were successful thanks to the application of this magical formula.
.- As usual, they confound correlation (these successful companies did this and that) with causation (they do not necessarily succeed for these actions)
.- "If GE or P&G did it, you could do it too" is a too stretched logic.
.- Activate this +100 (highly complex) actions and set 17 meetings per year, and you are good to go. -Definitively they do not show a single clue on how change management is deployed in big complex corporations.
.- Finally, to note the misleading of the book cover, David defeated Goliath in the Old Testament, hitting him with rock with a sling, not with a spring
You can wait for the paperback, or skip this one.
February 16, 2023
I have argued in the past that established companies have an edge over startups. This is why unlike fintechs Big Techs are such a serious threat. To be successful though, incumbents need to know how to play their cards. This book gives them a game plan to stay atop by using the techniques of their challengers. In addition to utilizing assets that challengers don’t have (eg a large customer base, liquidity, brand recognition) incumbents must also learn and incorporate the rules of the digital world. They must leverage data as a resource, complement top-down with bottom-up innovation, or foster innovation with the help of their network. Many more suggestions await readers in Goliath’s Revenge.
July 19, 2020
This book provides much to think about and great perspective. Here is a sampling from the beginning of the book: “Goliath’s Revenge” is when established companies are getting wise to David’s strategy, tactics, and tools. They have seen some of their traditional competitors succumb to the digital attackers that are resetting the rules for their industries. Instead of waiting for their businesses to be disrupted by Silicon Valley, they are saying, “Why can’t we use those same strategies, tactics, and tools for ourselves?” Some are setting their sights even higher. They are simultaneously protecting their core businesses from digital disruption while also running the disruptors’ playbook to expand into high-growth adjacent markets. Established companies of all sizes, and the people who work for them, are taking bold steps to shift from being disrupted to becoming disruptors. They are shifting from a mindset of “Defend the way we do things for as long as possible” or “I just hope I can retire before this really hurts my business” to one of “We need to move aggressively now to leverage our unique capabilities in a way that disrupts the disruptors.”
6 rules govern how established companies and their teams are adjusting their vision, strategy, and execution to achieve Goliath’s Revenge. The eventual split of mind share and market share between established companies and digital disruptors will be governed by how well individual companies respond to these new rules. These new rules will also determine your career prospects as the industry you work in undergoes its digital transformation:
Rule 1: Deliver step-change customer outcomes.
Rule 2: Pursue Big I and Little I innovation.
Rule 3: Use your data as currency.
Rule 4: Accelerate through innovation networks.
Rule 5: Value talent over technology.
Rule 6: Reframe your purpose.
The hard truth is that digital disruptors are waking up every day trying to reset the pecking order of your industry and gain mind share with your most important customers, employees, and shareholders. Only you can answer the question of how much time you and your company have to align with the 6 rules before your industry’s digital disruptors are too powerful to overcome. You are in a foot race whether you realize it or not.
The first step in deciding how much time you have to turn the tables on these digital disruptors is accurately understanding your starting point. Are you and your company ready to achieve long-term success and profitable growth in spite of the digital gyrations impacting your industry? One thing is clear - just working harder to defend the status quo is not a path to success.
3 Key Questions
Goliath’s Revenge is structured around 3 major questions you need to answer:
1. How will my industry, company, and career be impacted by digital disruption?
2. What steps can I take to position myself and my company for long-term success?
3. How should I prioritize my efforts to get the maximum return with the minimum risk?
The Incumbent’s Advantage
Think hard about what you are uniquely good at. Specifically, what are your crown jewels? These are not just any random advantages that are available to you. Crown jewels are assets or capabilities that form the starting point for your company achieving Goliath’s Revenge. They are the source of your incumbent’s advantage and the foundation for how you and your company are going to shift from defense to offense as the first step in disrupting your industry’s digital disruptors. To qualify as a crown jewel, each of these assets or capabilities must pass 3 tests. They must be:
• Essential to customer value;
• Uniquely controlled by you;
• Hard to replicate by others.
Defining your specific crown jewels is going to require an honest self-assessment. You need to go beyond “What are we good at?” and get to “Why those things matter” to your customers as digital competition reshapes your industry. The established companies that are effectively turning the tables on digital disruptors tend to have crown jewels across multiple areas of their businesses. There are 7 areas to explore: self-funding innovation, brand reach, existing customer relationships, installed base, data sets, blocking patents, and standards influence.
6 rules govern how established companies and their teams are adjusting their vision, strategy, and execution to achieve Goliath’s Revenge. The eventual split of mind share and market share between established companies and digital disruptors will be governed by how well individual companies respond to these new rules. These new rules will also determine your career prospects as the industry you work in undergoes its digital transformation:
Rule 1: Deliver step-change customer outcomes.
Rule 2: Pursue Big I and Little I innovation.
Rule 3: Use your data as currency.
Rule 4: Accelerate through innovation networks.
Rule 5: Value talent over technology.
Rule 6: Reframe your purpose.
The hard truth is that digital disruptors are waking up every day trying to reset the pecking order of your industry and gain mind share with your most important customers, employees, and shareholders. Only you can answer the question of how much time you and your company have to align with the 6 rules before your industry’s digital disruptors are too powerful to overcome. You are in a foot race whether you realize it or not.
The first step in deciding how much time you have to turn the tables on these digital disruptors is accurately understanding your starting point. Are you and your company ready to achieve long-term success and profitable growth in spite of the digital gyrations impacting your industry? One thing is clear - just working harder to defend the status quo is not a path to success.
3 Key Questions
Goliath’s Revenge is structured around 3 major questions you need to answer:
1. How will my industry, company, and career be impacted by digital disruption?
2. What steps can I take to position myself and my company for long-term success?
3. How should I prioritize my efforts to get the maximum return with the minimum risk?
The Incumbent’s Advantage
Think hard about what you are uniquely good at. Specifically, what are your crown jewels? These are not just any random advantages that are available to you. Crown jewels are assets or capabilities that form the starting point for your company achieving Goliath’s Revenge. They are the source of your incumbent’s advantage and the foundation for how you and your company are going to shift from defense to offense as the first step in disrupting your industry’s digital disruptors. To qualify as a crown jewel, each of these assets or capabilities must pass 3 tests. They must be:
• Essential to customer value;
• Uniquely controlled by you;
• Hard to replicate by others.
Defining your specific crown jewels is going to require an honest self-assessment. You need to go beyond “What are we good at?” and get to “Why those things matter” to your customers as digital competition reshapes your industry. The established companies that are effectively turning the tables on digital disruptors tend to have crown jewels across multiple areas of their businesses. There are 7 areas to explore: self-funding innovation, brand reach, existing customer relationships, installed base, data sets, blocking patents, and standards influence.
June 17, 2019
Very well written book with solid examples of how large companies (GM, P&G, NASA, Hitachi....) have been able to effectively innovate themselves in the near past and the large advantages they possess to win the game vis a vis smaller players/startups.
The book provides a prescriptive set of rules for ‘Goliaths’ to follow : 1) Aiming for significant customer outcomes 2) pursuing big and small innovations 3) leveraging available data 4) accelerating innovation 5) building right digital talent and 6) reframe purpose where required.
The advantages for the incumbents have also been covered well on the brand reach, customer relationship, data sets, self funding existing innovations and the current installed base.
The book touches upon both organizational and personal changes required on all the 6 rules covering each of these in detail. The templates/frameworks/playbooks are useful references/adoption tool kits.
Valuable for all large corporations who are at the beginning of their digital journey and also for the ones already on to validate/course correct.
Some parts of the book are repetitive, but worth the read.
The book provides a prescriptive set of rules for ‘Goliaths’ to follow : 1) Aiming for significant customer outcomes 2) pursuing big and small innovations 3) leveraging available data 4) accelerating innovation 5) building right digital talent and 6) reframe purpose where required.
The advantages for the incumbents have also been covered well on the brand reach, customer relationship, data sets, self funding existing innovations and the current installed base.
The book touches upon both organizational and personal changes required on all the 6 rules covering each of these in detail. The templates/frameworks/playbooks are useful references/adoption tool kits.
Valuable for all large corporations who are at the beginning of their digital journey and also for the ones already on to validate/course correct.
Some parts of the book are repetitive, but worth the read.
April 25, 2020
Highly recommended for anyone who works in any industry in today’s day & age including insurgent brands & start ups. For me the beauty of this book is that while it is talking about thriving in the new data drive digital world, it is extremely fundamental & principle based in its approach. What that means is that I can already think of ways to use the frameworks for my brand, for my writing (glorified word for my marketing blog), people in my life & well simply life decisions. After ages a book made me make notes in its margins. Highly recommended
October 13, 2019
With rich, detailed examples and anecdotes from large 'Goliaths' (read established firms) and how they are rolling out differentiated strategies to take on the 'Davids' of digital disruption, this book is a must read for senior executives and new managers alike. The book is peppered with detailed strategies that can be deployed both at an individual and company level.
July 17, 2021
Not a book for me since I don't run a business and I am not planning to. I find some of the information interesting but it seemed repetitive and a bunch of business jargon and innovative speak. It does a good job of being broad but for an outsider, I was looking for more stories like how the SA insurance company changed hingst or how UA bought different apps and why.
May 29, 2020
I really enjoyed the exercises in this book - both for large corporations and your average business professional. That being said, it took a long time to get through! Time will tell how effective the advice and rules in this book are found to be, but I enjoyed the read overall.
September 8, 2020
This was highly recommended from the CEO and CTO of the company I work for, but I disagree. The first half was extremely slow and I almost gave up. The second half was much better, but nothing really unique in this book.
June 3, 2025
This book is just an incredible amount of high level corporate jargon. Don’t waste your time.
April 8, 2020
It is very important to get the right people on board, find suitable metrics and pursue new growth options. This is not easy, but it can be done.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews