How Would-Be Category Kings Become Commoners

Author Rory McDonald spent several years studying companies pioneering new categories in several fields, most notably software and fintech. He interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs, corporate innovation chiefs, market analysts, and journalists. Author Keith Krach built and led four category-creating enterprises in industrial robotics, mechanical design automation, B2B ecommerce, and digital signature. Using multiple-case methods, and melding their analysis with personal experience, the authors compared the emerging insights to develop a theory of the category creation process. They also reviewed prior research on category creation and market formation in organization theory and strategy.