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First Mover

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Being first to industrialise a component or service can yield strong early advantages:

  • brand recognition
  • ecosystem gravity
  • cost curve leadership

But the benefits only stick if you move fast and scale hard. Many confuse invention with being first: this is about being first to commoditise something useful, not just to explore. You’re turning uncertainty into something others can build on. If you don’t entrench quickly, fast followers will eat you alive.

  • Directed investment (Attacking): You’ll need capital to industrialise early.
  • Standards game (Market): First movers can push for standardisation that favours their implementation.
  • Signal distortion (Market): First movers often overhype their position to discourage rivals.
  • Exploiting Network Effects (Accelerators): Build user base fast to entrench position before fast followers emerge.
  • Weak Signal (Positional): Often how you knew where to move first.