Case Studies that Shaped Disrupt

These real-world case studies - from global CPG giants to scrappy innovation teams - aren’t Disrupt projects, but they’re where I learned what works (and what doesn’t). Each one helped shape the principles behind the Disrupt Method and proves how customer insight can drive real strategic impact.

A presentation slide titled "How Customer-led Strategy Unlocks a $150M Opportunity" with a dark background. The text explains the redesign of a product to better meet customer needs, highlighting three key reasons: Customers valued versatility more than any other features, small design shifts helped reframe perception of strength, and value isn't always about price. The slide includes three icons: a speech bubble with three people, a cube with arrows around it, and a price tag with dollar signs, each accompanied by explanatory text.

How customer-led strategy unlocked a $150M market opportunity

When foam plates were banned across multiple states, a major CPG firm saw a chance to win over price-sensitive buyers with a new paper-based alternative. But after months of internal R&D and lukewarm test results, progress stalled.

That’s when we shifted the approach - starting not with prototypes, but with customer insights. By understanding the real-world tradeoffs foam buyers were making, we uncovered a simple but powerful insight that that unlocked an estimated $150M in market potential - without cannibalizing existing premium products.