Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers (Collins Business Essentials) Paperback – January 28, 2014

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

This book provides a lucid, updated account about what is involved in successfully introducing and getting mainstream acceptance of disruptive innovations in high tech related businesses that can also be applied more broadly as well (e.g. in other industries, non-profits).I first became aware of Moore’s book “Living on the Fault Line” (see my review of this and “Escape Velocity”) when at CSC Consulting where I also started to hear about his concepts such as the “Technology Adoption Life Cycle.” Given increased recent interest in such topics, it was heartening to discover that Moore had issued a new edition of his initial book which drew me to examine this version. and the book for the first time.The book consists of two parts. Part I is about “Discovering the Chasm” the need to gain support for a disruptive innovation vs. just expecting The Field of Dreams (if you build it they will come) can be realized. Part II is about Crossing the Chasm using an analogy to the WWII D-Day invasion where the group has to: target the point of attack, assemble the invasion force, define the battle, and launch the invasion. A conclusion discusses the financial, organizational and R&D aspects of approaching and leaving the chasm behind. He treats how different stakeholders are involved and mobilized (see my review of Stakeholder Theory: The State of the Art). Helpful appendices summarize the high-tech market development model (which is business to business and the subject of Moore’s second book “Inside the Tornado”) and a four gears model for engaging consumers in adopting digital innovations (business to consumer).At the time of this writing, I was doing some work with a non-profit organization advocating treatment and research advances related to mental health issues. I was struck by the notion that Moore’s model could apply in such non-profit sector situations as well (see my review of Daniel Siegel’s Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation based on recent neuroscience). It also appeared to me that these ideas could relate to career entrepreneurship (see my review of the book “Value Proposition Design” by A. Osterwalder et al and another of their books, “Business Model You”).Because of my background and interests at the time, my favorite parts had to do with the parts on basic definitions of the technology adoption life cycle and marketing elements such as the diagrams showing “the simplified whole product model” (page 137) and “the competitive positioning compass” (page 167, 189). I was impressed that the revised edition had pertinent references to then current developments such as the evolution of SaaS (Software as a Service) with groups such as when the founders of PeopleSoft overtaken by SAP and Oracle initiated Work Day and contributed to the rise of Cloud Computing. Other cases sited that were particularly relevant to me included the one on Documentum (use in Pharma Regulatory & Safety matters), early targeting of the Mac computer at Corporate Advertising/Art Departments and the graphic appeal of these machines. Moore’s proposed definition of chasm crossing transition roles such as target market segment manager and whole product manager as well as the compensation/reward considerations between them and pioneering salespeople and technologists also stood out for me.So, for an update on chasm crossing for disruptive innovations (and its broader application), take a look at Moore’s most recent edition of his excellent first book.

Got it for a fraction of the new price and it’s in good condition. Always buy second hand if I can!