eCommerce paradox

HankHeath_at_aol.com
Fri, 23 Aug 1996 20:22:52 -0400

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Having tooled around in technology for some time, now, I've been used to the
early adapters' strategy: the first implementation of a technology kills a
company, those who follow immediately behind prosper and maintain a
competitive advantage over late arrivers. That has been the common sense of
most R&D projects. Be the second on the curve, and you have a winner, they
have all told me.

That was true, up until now. Today, I am actually witnessing late arrivers to
the eCommerce scene having an easier time in growing than the folks who
followed the leaders. I can actually start a business on the 'Net today, and
have it make lots of money much more easily than if I had jumped into the
forray one or two years ago. The technology edge does not apply. In fact, it
hinders.

The reason for this, I think, is that the technology leaders and their
immediate followers on the 'Net are spending too much time worrying about
drek issues. Read what the early adopters are worrying themselves about:
hits, visits, clicks, banners, click-through, and other such nonsense. The
late arrivers are ignoring such techie bs, and paying attention to serving
the customer, providing appropriate content to the customer, delivering
products and services better to the customer.

The click-hit-visit-banner-background folks are contemplating their own
electronic navels. Their concerns are what are happening to "me-me-me." Do
you think the late arrivals to the scene who have business background are
going to waste their time like that?

Question: is this a flame, or a friendly slap in the face?

Hank Heath

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