You want to surprise people in your office? Ask them to estimate the percent of U.S. mobile phone subscribers who use email on their phones. Depending on who's doing the estimating, the figure ranges from seven to 13 percent .
A startup company called Peek looked at those figures and saw disruptive opportunity. After all, one of the most powerful ways to create new growth is to expand markets by making consumption simpler, more affordable, or more convenient.
This week, Peek's first product appeared in Target stores. The simple device, designed by product design powerhouse IDEO, costs $99. It allows users to send and receive email using T-Mobile's wireless network for $20 a month. And that's it. No phone, no wireless Internet connectivity, no attachments. Just email.
Will Peek follow the Apple iPod or Pure Digital Flip video camera--both elegant devices that have grown markets through simplicity--on the road to disruptive success?
Read the rest on Scott's Harvard Management blog, Innovation Insights.