crossing-the-chasm

# Crossing the Chasm Framework Strategic framework for marketing and selling disruptive technology products, particularly for transitioning from early adopters to mainstream customers. ## Core Principle **There is a chasm between early adopters and the mainstream market.** Most tech companies fail not because they can't build great products, but because they can't cross from visionaries who love new technology to pragmatists who just want solutions that work. **The foundation:** Early adopters and mainstream customers want fundamentally different things. What wins over innovators actively repels the early majority. You must change your strategy—and your whole product—to cross the chasm. ## Scoring **Goal: 10/10.** When evaluating go-to-market strategy for tech products, rate 0-10 based on alignment with chasm-crossing principles. A 10/10 means proper beachhead selection, whole product strategy, and positioning for pragmatist buyers; lower scores indicate early-market tactics applied to mainstream market. Always provide current score and improvements needed to reach 10/10. ## The Technology Adoption Life Cycle ``` Innovators → Early Adopters → [CHASM] → Early Majority → Late Majority → Laggards 2.5% 13.5% 34% 34% 16% ``` **The Chasm:** The gap between early adopters (13.5%) and early majority (34%). This is where most tech products die. ### The Five Buyer Groups | Segment | % Market | Psychology | What They Buy ...