The Early Adoption Paradox

Apple’s success, more so than any other company I can think of, is built atop the bruised and beaten bodies of early adopters. The most egregious example being, of course, when the company slashed the price of the higher-end first-gen iPhone by $200 a mere two months after its release while simultaneously phasing out the lower-end model. For the folks who’d waited weeks in line for the trinket and paid upwards of $600 for me-first bragging rights, it was a kick in the teeth. And it was these very consumers who’d made the phone a success. Shame on Apple for that one. But, it wasn’t the first or last time the company burned early adopters—by now we’re all familiar with the curse Apple puts on its own first-gen product lines. And yet, the early adopter is always there to take the licks.