Friday, April 28, 2006

The Change Function

Technologists think, "Build it, and they will come." But they're building plenty of cool stuff, and consumers aren't coming . . .

WHY DO PEOPLE ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGIES

People change habits when the pain of their current situation exceeds their perceived pain of adopting a possible solution. I call that the "change function." It may seem simplistic. It's supposed to be.

Change = f (level of current crisis, perceived pain of adoption) . . .

CONSIDER IN LIGHT OF NCS

A technology's success or failure is not merely fated. Instead, it demands action of one of two varieties. Technologists can identify and intensify a customer crisis. Or they can reduce the perceived pain of adoption.

That's not just a technology problem, of course. Marketing, for one thing, is crucial. Great marketing causes epiphanies; it can help customers think one of two things: "Ah. I see! I really want that! In fact, I need it!" (This is raising crisis.) Or: "Oh. It isn't nearly as hard as I thought. I'll do it!" (This is lowering the perceived pain of adoption.)

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