Crossing the Chasm
The challenge of transitioning technology products from early adopters to mainstream market.
Also known as: Technology chasm, Moore's chasm, Adoption chasm
Category: Concepts
Tags: innovations, strategies, marketing, technologies, adoption
Explanation
Crossing the Chasm, from Geoffrey Moore's book, describes the critical transition technology products must make between early adopters and the mainstream market. Early adopters buy for potential and tolerate imperfections; mainstream customers want proven solutions with references and support. The 'chasm' is the gap between these groups - many products succeed with early adopters but fail to cross to mainstream. Crossing requires: focusing on a specific niche (beachhead), providing whole product solutions (not just technology), establishing references, and appropriate positioning. The strategy is counterintuitive: go narrow to go broad. Rather than serving all potential customers, dominate one segment completely, then expand. This creates the references, case studies, and word-of-mouth needed for mainstream adoption. For knowledge workers, chasm-crossing thinking applies beyond products: new practices, ideas, and initiatives face similar adoption challenges requiring focused, whole-solution approaches.
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