Dr. Ozan Ozerk Discusses Why Disruption Needs a More Mature Approach

Forbes Finance Council has published a new article by Dr. Ozan Ozerk titled "Why Creative Disruption Needs to Grow Up." In this piece, Dr. Ozerk reflects on the evolution of the disruption narrative in technology and finance and argues that innovation can only succeed when wider institutions are ready to evolve with it.

Dr. Ozerk begins by examining how Silicon Valley turned the idea of disruption into a catchphrase. From the "Uber of X" to the "Amazon of Y," nearly every startup positioned itself as an industry threat. This, he explains, was a diluted interpretation of Joseph Schumpeter's concept of creative destruction, which describes the renewal of economies when new models replace outdated ones. According to Dr. Ozerk, recent work by Nobel laureates Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt shows that innovation alone does not produce growth. Real progress requires systems that can adapt and adopt new ideas rather than resist them.

Fintech, he notes, offers a practical example. Over the last decade, digital challengers transformed user expectations. Payments accelerated. Consumer banking became mobile-first. Financial services were embedded in everyday platforms. Infrastructure shifted as modular financial tools allowed firms to integrate new features with minimal friction. Despite these advancements, established banks did not collapse. Instead, they modernised. They redesigned their apps, reworked their processes and, in many cases, partnered with the very fintechs that once aimed to replace them. As Dr. Ozerk describes it, fintech did not tear the system down. It quietly rebuilt core elements while the system continued to function.

Yet he also highlights the limits of disruption when it outpaces reflection. Fintech often promised inclusion and empowerment, but the results were mixed. Zero-commission trading encouraged high-risk behaviour. Embedded credit increased personal debt. Algorithmic models reproduced social biases under the surface of polished interfaces. These issues, Dr. Ozerk argues, show that elegant design cannot compensate for flawed incentives or unexamined assumptions. Technology cannot claim to democratise finance if it reinforces the very problems it set out to solve.

He then expands the discussion to system-level barriers that hamper innovation. In the United States, unclear digital-asset regulations prevented responsible companies from scaling. He also references the collapse of Solid, a firm that once positioned itself as a frictionless infrastructure provider but ultimately left customers with frozen accounts and unresolved liabilities before entering bankruptcy. In contrast, long-standing market incumbents, such as dominant card networks, retained extraordinary market power after decades of minimal scrutiny. These examples show how innovation can be blocked not only by flawed execution but also by regulatory uncertainty and entrenched structures that leave little space for new entrants to grow.

Dr. Ozerk concludes by observing that other sectors are now experiencing the same tensions. Healthcare, education and legal services are entering a phase of AI-driven transformation. But these fields are deeply regulated and tied directly to human outcomes. Disruption in such environments cannot rely on slogans or speed alone. It must be grounded in responsibility, stability and respect for the systems it touches.

His message is clear. Innovation is still vital, but it must mature. It must be thoughtful, not reckless. As he writes, disruption should not be mistaken for destruction, and meaningful change only works when it is absorbed by the system, not forced upon it.

Full article link: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesfinancecouncil/2025/12/01/why-creative-disruption-needs-to-grow-up/

Contact Person: Dr. Ozan Ozerk
Email: info@ozanozerk.com
Country: United Kingdom
Address: The Bower, 207-211 Old Street, London, England, EC1V 9NR, UK
Website: https://www.ozanozerk.com/

Dr. Ozan Ozerk, born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1979 and raised in Norway by academic parents specializing in education and learning disabilities, has built a remarkable career bridging medicine, technology, and finance. After serving as a Norwegian Armed Forces Ranger and completing medical school at the University of Oslo (2000-2008), he co-founded the pioneering social network Biip.no in 2005, which was acquired by Egmont and Nettavisen for over 100 million krone in 2008.

Following years as an emergency room doctor until 2015, he pivoted to fintech, establishing a portfolio of successful ventures. A Forbes Finance Council member since 2021, Dr. Ozerk is recognized as a fintech pioneer and advocate for financial inclusion, frequently sharing his insights on the industry's future through interviews and opinion pieces.

This release was published on openPR.