Nine years ago, Ava DuVernay was a publicist. Today she is a breakout director, with her revolutionary “When They See Us” Netflix series reaching 23 million accounts in the first few weeks after its release and receiving 16 Emmy Award nominations. While her career trajectory could be called many things, from extraordinary to meteoric, a close look at DuVernay’s choices, actions, and raison d’être reveal something else: She is showing innovators everywhere how to conquer blue oceans.
Blue oceans embody the lifeblood of growth, profits, and innovation. They represent new customers found by bold individuals who have created and captured new perspectives from left field. Red oceans, by contrast, represent existing customers; each product fights mightily to earn even a sliver of market share.
Learn more at Harvard Business Review.