Crossing the Chasm is the title of the 1991 book by Geoffrey Moore that describes how technology products enter the mainstream. Moore posited that although many tech products are often gobbled up by the innovators and visionaries, they then often languish in a "chasm" that lies between those same early adopters and the mainstream. Wikipedia says:
"Moore argues there is a chasm between the early adopters of the product (technology enthusiasts and visionaries) and the early majority (the pragmatists).
Moore believes visionaries and pragmatists have very different
expectations."
A huge part of that chasm crossing is having a critical mass of "references" who are similar to the prospective buyers who give prospective mainstream buyers confidence that a product will work for them, too.
Check out today’s post by David Pogue of the New York Times, Explaining the Macintosh Surge. It’s spot on. (Read the comments, too.) It wasn’t just one thing that has brought Apple to where it is today. It’s a combination of things, including:
- The marketwide move to new machines triggered, frankly, by Vista (gotta buy something)
- Awareness of Apple through their media activities (both ads and coverage)
- Mainstream (read "non-geeks") comfort with Apple’s iPod and iPhone
- An increasing number of "reference" customers that span across demographics
Is this another example of patience and persistence paying off?
