bwagy, the blog of Ben Young

As innovators we spend all our time just beyond the edge of the curve, in that unknown space, tearing things apart then rebuilding them and getting them along the curve.

Often though we forget our place, there’s a reason that it’s not taken off yet, it hasn’t moved along the curve.

I remember when Yahoo Voice was awesome back in 2000, it took a few years for the equivalent Skype to really take off.

Or the GroupOn (deal a day) craze has taken off, people have been trying that for years, you see you have to see where you lye of the curve.

Know your place and understand how you’re going to talk to the rest of the curve.

A lot of arguments, lack of business resources could be solved just by understanding the curve and your position on it.  Go check it out on WikiPedia: Diffusion of innovations.

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Thanks to Babak_Bagheri for the image.

Sourced from the TEARA (New Zealand’s Encyclopedia) [Otago Gold Rushes].:

“… there were many rumours circulating about the doings of a digger named Fox, who was said to have “struck it rich” somewhere in the Otago interior. Fox had, indeed, found gold on the Arrow on 9 October 1862. He managed to keep the location of his discovery quiet for a short time, but persistent rumours of a rich “strike” attracted many diggers to the area. In November a further discovery in the Shotover Valley (near Queenstown) confirmed the existence of the Wakatipu field and by December there were 3,000 diggers working the two rivers. A month later there were 6,400 diggers in the district and several shanty towns had sprung into being.”

Whenever a new opportunity opens up, there are a quick few who exploit it, then word gets out of the amazing find and it’s a gold rush.

It’s hot, everyones chasing it, have you heard how much gold they got?!

Reality is that by the time the Gold Rush is happening the realistic chance of you reaping the rumoured rewards are tiny.  Best to recognise a Gold Rush for what it is, the masses catching up with the innovators.