Strategic Direction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Paul Nunes and Tim Breene, authors of Jumping the S-Curve

Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.

Findings – Every successful business eventually peaks. Greatness does not last. It falls prey to competition and commoditization, as well as obsolescence from the introduction of new technologies and innovations. And when a business's revenue growth stalls, only 7 percent ever go on to reclaim growth that is better than the growth of the market overall. The only solution is to jump to another growth curve, again and again.

Practical implications – Paul Nunes and Tim Breene take a look at the nature of the business “S-curve”. Shaped like the first half of the bell curve, this curve is the characteristic depiction of how a new line of business ramps up, grows aggressively, and then ultimately flattens out. Through their interview, Paul and Tim give practical advice on what businesses should be doing in order to prepare for their next “S-curve”.

Originality/value – The accelerating pace of business is forcing more top management teams to manage both their current successful business and their future business simultaneously. In the past, managers could often wait until the current business was firmly established, or even beginning to show signs of decline, before starting on the next. No longer. In this interview, Nunes and Breene highlight some of the most important disruptors emerging today, including cloud computing and sustainability, which are affecting companies in all industries, offering advice to companies wanting to take the lead in their own reinvention.