The thing that people forget about industries that have been upheaved, business models that have tanked and new products that changed the world:
- No one saw it coming
- It started underground
- The doubters exceeded those that participated
It isn’t until the end that people saw it and jumped on board.
Most of the articles and books focus on the end result – the wave after it has crashed. The don’t often look at the currents beneath the surface that cause the wave to form. They miss the impact of the timing of tides on the magnitude of the wave. Experts expound on the level-1 thinking that seems most obvious.
Rarely is the discontent over the status quo the headline. The early adopters don’t get credit for bringing it to life.
Here’s what you need to know though – what are you an early adopter of? If you always follow the crowd it’s hard to come out ahead. But if you have that one area you are passionate about and know more about than others you have a great opportunity to be at the top of the wave instead of just getting swept up in it.