When you think of a “disruptive technology,” you might picture the internet, the iPhone, the introduction of electric vehicles, or even the rise of AI. These breakthroughs have reshaped entire industries, and many people assume they emerged from a single “lightbulb” moment. Names like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, or Sam Altman often come to mind—visionaries who supposedly woke up one day with a brilliant idea fully formed.

Moving Beyond the “Eureka” Moment

In reality, most disruptive innovations arise when multiple technologies become mature enough to be combined in new and unexpected ways. 

“Innovation happens at the intersection of technologies.” 

Consider the first smartphone: it didn’t spring from a lone genius but rather from the convergence of microprocessors, touchscreens, digital cameras, and more. Even the internet wasn’t created overnight; it relied on a series of underlying technologies being ready at the same time.

Why Intersection Matters

People love the story of a nobody coming out of nowhere to transform the world with a single groundbreaking idea. However, the truth is more complex—and more powerful. True innovation takes place where multiple technologies meet. It might be an existing technology borrowed from one industry and applied to a completely different domain. It could also be several maturing technologies that, when woven together, create something greater than the sum of their parts.

How Smith Board Co. Embraces Innovation

This principle of intersection is at the heart of how Smith Board Co. designs and engineers our boards. Rather than looking solely within the watersports industry for inspiration, we draw on leading-edge breakthroughs from aerospace, automotive, biotech, and beyond. We do still research and develop novel ideas specific to watersports, but much of our innovation is sparked by looking outside our traditional sphere.

Constantly Pushing Boundaries

By integrating advanced materials, processes, and technologies from other fields, we’re committed to driving our boards to new heights of performance and design. We will never be satisfied with the status quo. As new technologies emerge and mature, we’ll continue to explore how they can work together to create the next generation of boards.