I got this comment from 
My answer to this was:
It is always the way with early adoption, wait for the demand to move and there is already established supply and many more making the attempt.
This is common for those who are not risk embracing as they want certainty of outcome, and when it comes to something that requires sale, the first thing they think about is if there is a market for it. That is logical of course, because a supplier needs a buyer, but when it comes to innovations, sometimes there is no established market and the buyers are not yet aware enough to know that they want to demand what is on the horizon.
What has happened with pretty much every significant technological evolution before it has gone mainstream, is that the development and investment takes place before there is a market demanding it. In very recent history, personal computing, mobile phones, the internet, digital cameras and social medias serve as examples.
It wasn't that long ago that the thought of sharing private life publicly would have seemed like the most unlikely turn of culture. Yet, here we are.
But, have a look at what was required for the step into the marketplace of social media, have a look at the list of examples above. Without that list of innovations that once upon a time many people didn't know they wanted, public social media would not be possible as they are the tools required. The phone that travels everywhere with us, the digital camera to capture moments of our life and the internet to give us the possibility to share our images and thoughts globally with those we will never know or meet.
But, each of these required early adopters who first developed the vision and began development, others who picked up as the earliest users and championed the shift, then the bandwagon jumpers and eventually - everyone else. But it is a game of uncertainty, and the earlier the foray into the industry, the greater the risk of failure or, forks in the game where early competition makes breakthroughs and pushes the shift in a new direction. Electric and steam powered cars were beaten by manufacturing technology - the production line.
And like Matt said, the half-assed are going to miss opportunities, because when the mainstreaming takes place, they will be facing already established industry contributors who have built the marketplace, have increased interest and demand and have become the household names. Not only this, once there is a marketplace and demand, all of the low-risk-taking fence-sitters who wanted certainty of a market jump in to contribute to the industry also. This means that as demand increases for supply, competition to supply is going to increase and the marketplace pie needs to be shared with more and more suppliers.
Because of this competition, each supplier will look to find a competitive advantage to leverage for market share. It could be quality, it could be price, it could be the emotional connection they can generate through marketing practices - but without having a compelling advantage to attract market attention, the newcomers into the supply game are going to invariably struggle and the ones who are successful will have to invest heavily for the position.
early adoption into any industry isn't for everyone and many will fail and struggle regardless of their timing in, especially if what they contribute doesn't build marketplace demand, doesn't improve the industry, doesn't add value - and only looks to extract. In the early adoption phases, extractors unwilling to invest into growth will eventually be pushed out by those who do.
My train home is soon here, so I will wrap it up.
And, to bring it back to Steem, this is what we are starting to see where there are changes in the Steem industry that has forked the direction and those early adopters who chose to extract are increasingly facing pressure to change to the new industry standards or, risk getting pushed out altogether.
Those who are investing into the growth of the place, staking up, spreading STEEM, contributing quality, developing applications, marketing, onboarding and generally not acting like dicks, are more likely to survive the early adoption phases and still be here as the crypto industry matures and have an established position that will provide stability.
It doesn't really matter who you are or your skillset, in a new industry there are new dynamics and opportunities, and it is those who are willing and able to adapt and consistently perform, those who are able to make capital and time room to invest, those who are willing to take a risk of failure in uncertainty who will survive and make the largest gains as the uncertainty degrades into stability.
Risk and reward are two sides of the same coin - how high are you willing to flip it?
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
