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"The only exception to this is when you are first to market with something unique." The "first mover" advantage is largely a myth. Many successful companies t

by TDL 14y ago

"The only exception to this is when you are first to market with something unique." The "first mover" advantage is largely a myth. Many successful companies that dominate their market segments weren't the first entrants in that segment.

dkrich 14y ago
> The "first mover" advantage is largely a myth. Many successful companies that dominate their market segments weren't the first entrants in that segment. I think this depends upon how granularly you bucket the different companies. If you just use broad strokes and say "Apple wasn't the first to make a cell phone", then what you are saying is true, albeit at ignoring the fact that they were the first to make a cell phone with a glass touchscreen, advanced software, app store integration, and sustained improvements. Now if you put companies into that bucket, you basically end up with Apple. Samsung followed, and makes outstanding products in the exact same space, but in that bucket, Apple is the leader. Apple is an oft-cited example, but I'll bet that if you look at any product that leads its space, it was the first to do what it does in exactly the way it does it. The reason I'm skeptical about how well this can work for project management saas companies is that there are only so many pixels to manipulate on a screen, and only so many ways to organize a project. If you are making a "me-too" product you will lose out in the long run. That's all I was saying. Not sure why people get so upset with facts.
- drumdance 14y ago
  You don't have to be the market leader to be successful. Some friends of mine started an online survey product similar to SurveyMonkey (but better in many ways) years after SurveyMonkey. It's a very profitable business. Obligatory plug: http://www.surveygizmo.com http://www.surveygizmo.com
- TDL 14y ago
  I was thinking more Pampers (P&G) vs. Chux (JnJ). In fact P&G is an example of successfully being a "me-too" player. The "me-too" companies are often the innovators that create better products. I have no idea why you are being down voted.

by TDL 14y ago

dkrich 14y ago

> The "first mover" advantage is largely a myth. Many successful companies that dominate their market segments weren't the first entrants in that segment. I think this depends upon how granularly you bucket the different companies. If you just use broad strokes and say "Apple wasn't the first to make a cell phone", then what you are saying is true, albeit at ignoring the fact that they were the first to make a cell phone with a glass touchscreen, advanced software, app store integration, and sustained improvements. Now if you put companies into that bucket, you basically end up with Apple. Samsung followed, and makes outstanding products in the exact same space, but in that bucket, Apple is the leader. Apple is an oft-cited example, but I'll bet that if you look at any product that leads its space, it was the first to do what it does in exactly the way it does it. The reason I'm skeptical about how well this can work for project management saas companies is that there are only so many pixels to manipulate on a screen, and only so many ways to organize a project. If you are making a "me-too" product you will lose out in the long run. That's all I was saying. Not sure why people get so upset with facts.

drumdance 14y ago
You don't have to be the market leader to be successful. Some friends of mine started an online survey product similar to SurveyMonkey (but better in many ways) years after SurveyMonkey. It's a very profitable business. Obligatory plug: http://www.surveygizmo.com http://www.surveygizmo.com
TDL 14y ago
I was thinking more Pampers (P&G) vs. Chux (JnJ). In fact P&G is an example of successfully being a "me-too" player. The "me-too" companies are often the innovators that create better products. I have no idea why you are being down voted.