Bridging the gap

While innovation thrives on the novel, adoption flourishes when the novel is presented in the familiar. The hurdle? Engineers and innovators often become so captivated by the 'new,' they may not fully translate its value into the language of the 'known.'

Initial novelty might attract attention, but lasting technology adoption relies on showcasing early, tangible progress that solves familiar and current problems, fostering trust through observable improvements and iterative feedback. Ultimately, it's the demonstrable value of progress, rather than mere newness, that truly drives widespread acceptance.

If you’re building or introducing new tech, you must bridge the gap between the exciting 'new' and the comfortable 'known' to pave the way for acceptance.

REMEMBER: Familiar | Current | Observable | Improvements | Iterative | Feedback | Progress

GE's refrigerator ads in the 1920s perfectly illustrate this point: while electricity and the appliance were novel, widespread acceptance came from showcasing tangible progress against the familiar problems of food spoilage and icebox inconvenience, proving the demonstrable value beyond mere newness.