Role of relevant lead users of mainstream product in the emergence of disruptive innovation

We combine insights received from prior research on the role of lead user and prior investigations of disruptive innovation. Our research illustrates the role of a particular lead user, which we refer to as the relevant lead user, in paving the way for the potentially disruptive technology to be a definitely disruptive one. Through focused consideration, we reveal characteristics that may be significant in identifying users as relevant in relation to potentially disruptive innovation. Our research also reveals that contrary to Christensen's assumption, incumbents do not embrace the inevitable and jump from the old technology to the new. Rather, the transformation occurs over a period of time.