People die all the time. It’s likely someone close to you has passed. And when it happens, we feel so alone, even though it's happening all around us. 

When someone famous passes, however, it may not touch us as deeply, but it’s something we can share together. The mourning may not be as deep, but the world mourns together.

Kobe Bryant’s tragic death is a good example. It’s incredibly sad, and everyone feels something hearing that story, but he’s not the one this blog post is about.   

There was another person that had a major impact on the world whose intellectual contribution will be missed, and many business owners and leaders share my sentiment. Clayton Christensen was a professor and an author among many other things. He’s best known for writing “The Innovator’s Dilemma”.

This was one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. Having written about innovation in many of his pieces, he explains how secure, stable, and thriving companies can lose to start-ups through seemingly insignificant innovation. He writes about market disruption and gives compelling real-life examples demonstrating the lifecycle of innovation. Here's a great summary of the book.

Several years ago, my team at Peach New Media read this book and it helped us think about how we fit into the association vertical. It would come up in conversation over and over again through the years and even today, building PropFuel, Clayton’s perspective of innovation is with us.

Another one of his books is called, “How Will You Measure Your Life?” and explores the concept of purpose and happiness. 

R.I.P. Clayton Christensen and Kobe Bryant. You’ve both created immense value with your lives. How will you measure your life?