Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: The Updated Version of the Insightful Guide on Bringing Cutting-Edge Products to the Mainstream (Collins Business Essentials)

This wonderful book creatively combines three business school concepts at the crossroads of the innovation adoption lifecycle (diffusion curve), market segmentation, and customer satisfaction. In brief, the main chasm for the adoption curve is the interval between the “early adopters” and the “early majority.” This is due to the different psychographics of these two distinct market segments and what satisfies each market. The “early adopters” are more or less difficult-to-please but well-funded visionaries who are willing to spend whatever is necessary to reshape their companies with futuristic technology. The “early majority” are those cautious pragmatists who want their companies to quickly benefit from proven technologies. They won’t buy because of your success with the “early adopters.” However, they will buy when enough customers in their own market segment are satisfied with the product but won’t buy without positive word-of-mouth. The main problem here is that the “early majority” exists in a “catch-22” trap. So, who among them will be the first to buy? A good answer is a definite requirement for “crossing the chasm” and getting a new product from one segment to the next. To address many fascinating, mostly high-tech B2B questions such as this, the author takes a deep dive into the frequently overlooked mechanics of what gets a successful product from inception to sustained success at each segment of the adoption curve. One major takeaway is seeking, finding, and using the target customer’s compelling reason to buy. Another is the need to capture one-half of the market segment within a year, a segment big enough to matter yet small enough to lead, and one that fits well with your crown jewels. The book is a relatively easy and enjoyable read, as the author makes a myriad of otherwise deep, dry issues come alive with analogies, similes, and metaphors. He also includes real-world examples of how and why companies did and didn’t cross the chasm, summarizing his strategic advice along the way with to-do and to-don’t lists. At least one major proof of the author’s theory is the amazing, continued best-seller success of his own book! Bottom-line, it’s a must-have, must-read for any good business library! If interested in more information about strategy in general, consider reading the following book, which distills and integrates the works of 87 master strategists: Strategic Advantage: How to Win in War, Business, and Life

I applied many of these concepts to strategized my go-to-market tactics. Many of it’s teachings hold in real life. Specially the ones related to the different motives and interests of early adopters, visionaries and pragmatists. Im

This is an excellent book for B2B companies to "cross the chasm" that sets apart early adopters of a new, innovative product from the mainstream market. It brings original and insightful ideas that have been tested (and being the 3rd edition of the book, it even includes examples of companies that deployed the ideas of the 1st edition). The broken bell curve of Enthusiasts, Visionaries, Pragmatists and Conservatives, the Compass of Competitive Positioning and the Whole Product model by Theodore Levitt are just the main highlights that make this book mandatory for anyone learning about startups and marketing in general. Very relevant, interesting and even entertaining.

Really great and insightful. Definitely worth your time. As a tech sideways on the left of the chasm good to look across.

The point of greatest peril in the development of a high-tech market lies in making the transition from an "early market" dominated by a few visionary customers to a "mainstream market" dominated by a large block of customers who are predominantly pragmatists in orientation, according to Geoffrey Moore in the third edition of this book. The gap between early and mainstream markets is what the author refers to as the "chasm", and many entrepreneurial businesses have fallen into it. The chasm arises because innovators and early adopters of a new high-tech market have a fundamentally different outlook from that held by mainstream customers. Innovators are the first to try a new technology. They are the enthusiasts who don't care about manuals or user-friendliness or even practical benefits; all they care about is trying out something interesting and different. Visionary early adopters start to care about a new product when they can see that it enables a strategic leap forward, and they tend to be willing to pay for the strategic advantages which they hope the product will bring to them. Mainstream purchasers, on the other hand, want to see that the product is working well and providing productivity improvements for other people like themselves, before they are willing to buy. The problem is that only other mainstream purchasers are "people like themselves", as references from visionary early adopters tend to be suspect. Thus a product which does well with innovators and early adopters can fall into the chasm because no mainstream purchasers are willing to be the first "people like themselves" to take it on. The book, which goes on to describe the steps which need to be taken to cross the chasm, has become a classic since the first edition was published in 1991, but the content has been rewritten in the latest edition to bring it right up to date. The real question is whether, in the current environment of disruptive technologies, the principles outlined in the book continue to apply. Downes and Nunes in their book Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating Innovation present a very different picture of how innovations start, shoot to prominence, and die out in a very short space of time. It seems to me that perhaps there is some similarity between the "singularity" early stage of the Big Bang model and the early adopter stage of Moore's model. Many products never make it out of the singularity. Further, perhaps there is no longer a single model that applies to all technology innovations. Undoubtedly there are many products which do follow Moore's model and have to come up with a strategy for crossing the chasm, but perhaps there are other products to which the model does not apply. In any event, this is a very useful book for any entrepreneur or marketer in a field of technology.

A classic that every entrepreneur, marketer, or product manager should read. It provides timeless strategies for taking innovative products from early adopters to the mainstream market. The updated edition keeps the examples relevant to today’s tech landscape. A foundational book that continues to deliver value years after its first release.

Extraordinario análisis del mercado de "high tech" y de las diferentes etapas por la que pasa una empresa que inicie su andadura en él. Su primera versión se publicó en 1991. Sus conceptos siguen muy vigentes, además de que el libro se ha ido actualizando. Yo en concreto he leído una edición de 2014. Casi imprescindible para alguien que esté planteandose innovar en ese mercado

Moore's classic work remains highly relevant. This updated edition provides valuable insights for technology companies navigating the transition from early adopters to the mainstream market. The framework for understanding different customer segments and tailoring marketing strategies accordingly is invaluable for anyone involved in technology product development and go-to-market strategies." This review highlights: Timeless Relevance: The core concepts of the book continue to be valuable. Updated Insights: The 3rd edition incorporates the latest market trends. Valuable Framework: Provides a practical framework for understanding customer segments. Relevance for Technology Companies: Essential for navigating the challenges of market adoption.

English & Français: Great book: reads easily and quickly (and pleasant to read). It is an excellent complement to whoever already has a marketing textbook or marketing notions. Remember it is particularly & specifically for hi-tech type products - but some notions open one's mind when working in another area. For whoever has no marketing knowledge, this book is not necessarily the best choice (too specific), but since it is nice to read... Super livre: se lit facilement et rapidement, et agréablement (livre écrit en Anglais). C'est un complément excellent pour toute personne qui a déjà un livre "scolaire" de marketing, ou des connaissances. Attention, il s'adresse plus spécifiquement aux produits type haute ou nouvelle technologie, mais certaines notions sont intéressantes car elles permettent de s'ouvrir l'esprit. Pour celles et ceux qui n'ont pas de notions marketing, ce livre n'est pas forcément le meilleur premier choix: moins scolaire/éducatif, et plus spécifique Hi-Tech; mais comme il est agréable à lire...

Libro davvero utile e ben strutturato. Spiega in modo chiaro come portare un prodotto dalle prime fasi al mercato di massa, con esempi concreti e concetti facilmente applicabili. L’ho trovato molto utile per capire come posizionare correttamente un’offerta e superare le fasi critiche del lancio. Consigliato a chiunque lavori nel marketing o in product management.