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'Early adopters', 'trendsetters', 'opinion leaders', 'first movers' - are the labels describing those who are ahead of the mainstream, who are keen to try out new things. The article explains the subtle differences between those terms and how can companies proactively incorporate using these groups and their insight into their innovation management process.

Nokia's once established dominance in smartphones is a distant memory, due to iPhones and Android based devices. It is true that being an early mover is key to setting standards, but it is not enough if dominance doesn't remain when one moves along the s-curve from early adopters to the early majority.

It seems clear that cars are going to go electric ... but when and exactly based on which dominant design? Apart from this there is a huge issue related to time. While in high-tech change is very fast and there is a clear strategic case for being fast, this might not be true in "hard" manufacturing, where diffusion is likely to be slow and painful for early movers, and subject so a significant "sailing ship effect".