Scientific Definition
The gap between early adopters and the early majority kills most products.
Plain-English Definition
The gap between early adopters and the early majority kills most products.
Feynman Explanation
The hardest sale is the second category of customer.
Core Principle
The gap between early adopters and the early majority kills most products.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
The gap between early adopters and the early majority kills most products.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Product-market fit graduation.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
The hardest sale is the second category of customer.
Examples
- Tech products that thrived with enthusiasts and died with the mainstream.
- Product-market fit graduation.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Plan deliberately for the chasm; it isn't accidental.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Plan deliberately for the chasm; it isn't accidental.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
The rate at which customers (or employees) leave over a period.
Innovators → early adopters → early majority → late majority → laggards.
Low-end or new-market entrants overtake established incumbents.
Prices driven far above intrinsic value by feedback loops of belief and behavior.
Asset prices fully reflect available information; you can't reliably beat the market.
Doing everything right by current customers can kill you.
Customers hire products to do a job in their life.
Aggregating many niche markets equals or exceeds the mainstream.
Beliefs about reality shape the reality.
Technologies grow slowly, then explode, then plateau.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Basics first (health/finances), then depth (mastery/impact), then altruism (widening circle).