The Purple Ascendancy^TM Principle

Companies initially become successful by creating something that unlocks new value — a visionary product that’s better than what came before. At this stage, you articulate your company’s “miracle” in ways that disrupt the market and seem to effortlessly attract customers, investors and supporters.  To grow, however, your company will need to scale and broaden its footprint.

Your company has become more widely known for its original breakthrough and is expanding its reach well beyond early adopters. It builds upon its initial miracle by moving into adjacent markets, or through adaptations and options. But expectations rise as your reputation becomes known and solidified. Imitators emerge. Investors and other stakeholders begin to impose their needs. Your miracle is no longer enough.

What was once your breakthrough is now taken for granted, and value is normalized. Imitators and competitors have become established. You must now sustain your business in an evolving and advancing marketplace. Other threats emerge: changing consumer demands and new entrants, legislative and regulatory changes, societal expectations and active critics.

Your company risks losing market share or the ability to generate sustained profits. Critics may say your original miracle is becoming outdated, unnecessary or even harmful to larger society. Your company, once considered visionary, may now be portrayed as self-serving, past its prime or irrelevant. These forces combine to put even a once-leading company’s future in jeopardy.

The four stages chart a typical cycle. But by recognizing the forces at work, we can architect a 5th Stage.