We live in a constant state of ecosystem and category disruption, always evolving and redefining.

Think back to a supermarket 30 years ago – there were no organic or plant-based options, no energy drinks, and vegan or high-protein foods weren’t common. Fast forward 30 years, and we’ll see new categories we never anticipated.

The core of this evolution is solving problems we didn’t know we had. Categories like Organic, Vegan, High-Protein, and Energy Drinks address hidden consumer needs.

In the corporate world, the same redefinition happens. Real estate as an exchange-traded asset (REIT) was a new category that needed explanation and education to become an established part of portfolios.

Markets and categories are always changing, and those who define the category often dominate it, becoming Category Kings.

Today, we see accelerated change impacting ecosystems in four major ways:

Supply and Value Chain Disruption

The pandemic exposed the fragility of global value chains, leading to radical changes like nearshoring and increasing nationalism. Innovators like Cogoport are seizing this opportunity to define new categories.

Web3

Web3 represents a new level of decentralization across computer networks, finance, and identity, giving control back to individuals. This shift creates opportunities for new categories to emerge.

Climate and Sustainability

Climate and sustainability are critical global issues, leading to new solutions and categories around carbon measurement, ESG, and city sustainability initiatives.

AI and Work as We Know It

The impact of AI on work is changing how we operate, creating new categories like Work Execution Systems to streamline tasks. As work evolves, new categories will continue to emerge.

These disruptions prompt us to ask what new categories will form and how to seize these opportunities. Leading the change and defining categories is key to dominating markets.

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This article was first published on March 19, 2024.

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