Crossing the Chasm

Questions

What is Crossing the Chasm?

Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore's idea, says the hardest step for anything new is the jump from early adopters, who love novelty, to the pragmatic majority, who want something proven and complete. Many products stall in that gap, as TiVo's beloved recorder did.

How do you use Crossing the Chasm?

Use it when spreading any new idea: don't stop at the fans. Pick one practical group, solve their problem fully, and let trusted pragmatists convince the rest.

When does Crossing the Chasm matter?

Crossing the Chasm is one of the 56 mental models for strategy, the situations where you ask: How do I win when others want the same thing? Within that, it belongs to “How markets grow and tip”, alongside First Mover Advantage, Flywheel and Long Tail.

What is an example of Crossing the Chasm?

Two stories show it at work: Hybrid corn in Iowa (1943) and TiVo (1999–2016). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.

Which mental models are related to Crossing the Chasm?

Technology Adoption Lifecycle, Social Proof and Beachhead Strategy. Crossing the Chasm itself comes from economics.