My parents used to get one or two phone calls a month from Mr. Lefevre, who would complain in a world-weary voice that I was being too “disruptive” in his high school biology classroom. In J-school at USC, we were taught to challenge, provoke, to never accept anything at face value. When I began my career in the agency world, I loved testing “rules” (wearing Levi’s at Visa was fun) and always, always asking “Why?”

Being a disruptor is in pretty high demand now, it turns out. It’s a great time – maybe the best time ever – to work in marketing communications. It’s 52-card Pick Up as trusted brands and newcomers knock it out in a battle for relevance in the new normal of today’s marketplace.

I thought a lot about the art and science of disruption while reading, perhaps ironically, “Build” by Tony Fadell, who brought us the iPod, the iPhone and Nest. He’s an old school inventor who lays it out there plainly in explaining what works and what does not. His chapter on “Assholes” had me cheering and scribbling notes for my own memoir. Some day!

Take it from someone who has witnessed plenty of addition by subtraction – it’s much more rewarding – and a lot more fun – to double-down on building by shaking things up.

Jon