The karma of being an “early adopter”

2 comments

My will to embrace change makes me an “early adopter” in many areas. The use of 2.0 tools is one of them. Another is having a blog, while being an entrepreneur, an old guy and not a “techie”. Not one of my closest friends has a blog. They don’t even read them!

When I told them that I was starting with Risk and Reward, they didn’t say a word but I know they thought it was a stupid thing to do. When I tell them that even though this effort will not bring any economic reward, I am so enthusiastic as I reach my goals on the number of persons that read it and subscribe to it, they answer politely, but we all know they think I am a fool.

This is the reason why I liked so much the saying I heard from someone who, at the Silicon Valley tour, said: “Being early feels a lot like being wrong, for a while”. Yes, this is exactly how all of the “early adopters” feel most of the time, not only techies.

Do you feel the same way? I wanted to share this quote with those of you who feel this way, to help you feel a bit better.

Photo: Smiley man with a hat

Translation: Ines Hercovich

Mikhail Bilinkis says:

December 24, 2008 at 12:15 pm

so true… on the other hand isn’t it even more stupid when you follow the trend and then suddenly hit the wall along with the everybody else? That’s what just happened to most of the investors in stock end debt markets all over the world.
Few outsiders who went against the crowd look like geniuses now.

Federico Lois says:

March 16, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Definitely being the first most of the time means have to endure the “maaan are you crazy?? there’s no way that can work” and most of the times in corporate settings it means: having to convince your team, your manager, your manager’s manager, and so on until someone in the chain that is an early adopter itself that have the political clout to really be able to do it OR an early adopter that you can convince to try-out this weird different new thing …

The good thing is that if you are really lucky and can make a difference (several times in a row ), IN THE END, being “rejected” as crazy is faaar more difficult… Then they say: “Ok, do you remember that crazy guy named , he got this weird idea… at least lets hear him”

Definitely that is when you know that you are in the right path… hope I dont have to pay royalties for this, but you have to “keep walking”

Santiago Bilinkis l Risk and Reward - Trying to live a life out of the comfort zone