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The Innovator’s Dilemma
of the Translation Industry
Robert Laing, Gengo
Incumbents are locked into
perfecting high-quality,
highly-profitable models
Incumbent
Startups begin with low-quality,
low-profit models
Incumbent
Startup
Incumbent
Startup
But rapidly increase quality,
capacity and profitability
Incumbent
Startup
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Incumbent
Startup
Traditional
LSP?
Crowd?
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
AM
VM
CSD
PjM
PjM
E
MLV$0.30
SLV
$0.10
T
$0.03
“At first this hotel looked OK,
then I realized there were
BED BUGS everywhere!”
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
TranslationQuoting
Biz DevSelling
Marketing Accounts
DTP
Copy
Technology
Translation
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
Disruptable industries have…
Hierarchies
Bureaucracy
Complex worker roles
Outdated technology
Fragmentation
Sales dominance
Distribution problems
API
Incumbent
Startup
Incumbents are locked into
perfecting high-quality,
highly-profitable models
Incumbents are locked into
perfecting high-quality,
highly-profitable models
"We overestimate the change that will
occur in the next two years and
underestimate the change that will
occur in the next ten."
Next 5-10 years?
Displacement of “Mom & Pop” agencies
Restructuring of mega-agencies
Consumerization of advanced MT
APIs over standards
Pure online & mobile
Next 5-10 years?

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The Innovator's Dilemma of the Translation Industry