Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers
The classic guide to marketing high-tech products through the adoption lifecycle
"The chasm is a time of great peril for high-tech products. It is the moment of truth for any technology."
— Geoffrey A. Moore
My Review
Moore's technology adoption lifecycle is ecological succession by another name. The transition from early adopters to early majority is a phase transition - and Moore's advice on how to cross the chasm maps to how species establish themselves in new ecological niches.
Why It Matters
Moore's framework explains why many promising innovations fail to achieve scale. The adoption curve is an ecological succession pattern, and understanding it helps time market entry and resource allocation.
Key Ideas
- The chasm exists between early adopters and early majority
- Crossing requires focused 'beachhead' strategy
- Different customer segments require different approaches
- Whole product thinking is essential for mainstream adoption
How It Connects to This Framework
Book 1 Chapter 8 (Ecosystem Thinking) and Book 4's discussion of ecological succession. The market evolution concepts are directly informed by Moore's work.
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