An example of the barriers to success for safety innovations comes from Joe Figliuzzi's story of marketing a safe ladder (see US Patent 5,915,498 and 5,791,437). A large company was interested in his ladder (see US Patent, but by focusing on safety in his marketing approach, he set himself up for failure because he did not understand the market and regulatory forces for the ladder business. Had he taken a different marketing approach, his product might have found a home in a distribution channel by emphasizing some other feature, letting users see for themselves the obvious safety benefit. But touting improved safety for a new ladder will scare away the manufacturers who don't want to be sued and who don't want to suggest that their other ladders aren't safe as well.
The disruptive power of an innovation depends on how it is positioned in the marketplace. Positioning it poorly - almost guaranteed if you don't know the turf - can quickly kill and innovation, dooming its disruptive potential. It's not enough for an invention to be cool. To be disruptive, or even to just make a buck, it needs to be positioned for success in the marketplace, and that means you need to understand the needs and pressure felt by manufacturers, distributors, end users, and others. Know the market, find the positioning, and let your product disrupt.
