Mechanism
First-Mover Advantage
TL;DR
First-mover in new geographic markets captures network effects before competitors scale.
Early migrants to seasonal resources capture best territories before competitors arrive. First wildebeest to fresh grass gain nutrition advantage.
Business Application of First-Mover Advantage
First-mover in new geographic markets captures network effects before competitors scale. Airbnb entered Europe 2010-2012, local competitors launched 2012-2014 (too late - Airbnb already had critical mass). Google+ launched 2011 when Facebook had 500M users - network effects insurmountable. If competitors already migrated 5+ years ago with network effects lock-in, migration likely fails.