Unlocking the Customer Value Chain: How Decoupling Drives Consumer Disruption

by Thales S. Teixeira

It’s also quite risky to jump on a supply-side bandwagon. If you see that businesses in various industries are rolling out subscription services, you might feel tempted to create a subscription service yourself. But did you really spot a new wave? No. As many companies have failed with subscription services as have succeeded. Subscriptions for snacks? A startup called Munchpak tried it—and failed. Subscriptions for craft-making products? A startup called Adults & Crafts tried it—and failed. Subscriptions for artisanal beer? Craft Beer Club tried it—and failed. The truth is that most people lack a strong motivation to SIAFI when it comes to snacks, crafts, and alcohol. They like variety and the process of looking for novelty, and they don’t seek to standardize up front in order to mitigate a large, perceived cost carried into the future. More generally, offerings in different categories don’t allow us to understand the root cause or primary drivers of demand. And it’s precisely these drivers that you must tap into if you wish to identify and ride a consumer-driven disruptive wave.