Tim de Jardine -Entrepreneur

A popular buzzword among entrepreneurs (especially technologists) is the notion of crossing the chasm. This involves the shift in adoption from early adopters to a mainstream market. Based on Crossing the Chasm a book by Geoffrey A Moore this theory is relevant in a mass market psychology.

The problem with going for a mass market “sweep” is that it rarely happens anymore, especially in technology. There are an infinite number of choices for all consumers in a society increasingly dominated by clutter.

A more effective strategy is to push for a niche. Adopt the long tail. Kevin Kelly puts a good point that if you get 1,000 true fans you’ve got your living. Good in a small sense, but does this scale? The auction giant EBay is a niche product. Netting 3% of the internets users at any one time. Lets face it, there is no mass market in an increasingly connected world with no borders, there simply is too much choice.

The model has changed. For example if you are featured on a prominant blog such as techcrunch or a news network such as CNN early adopters and adopters will know of your existence. The challenge then comes not from adoption but to persuasion.

The idea of a mass market is an old-age myth of boom or bust, of a 20th century fantasy regarding a zero sum game. If you cannot sustain your business, then you need to rethink your strategy but if you want your product to be used by everyone, then start making it average.

The most important chasm that exists is one that is within your Niche. Crossing that involves a combination of acceptance, timing and hard-work. Cross from bleeding edge adopters to early adopters is ideal. Apple does this successfully with around 3% of the total computing market and billions of dollars in revenue.