Campbell, C. C. (2023).
Chapter 3 Breakdown: Catching the Next Wave — Timing Is the Hidden Edge
Series: Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Reflections | Author: Brent Parker, Resilience Repurposed LLC
🌊 Welcome to Chapter 3 of the Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Reflections Series
You’ve got a great idea. You’ve taken action. But what if you're just too early—or too late? Timing can feel like luck, but Colin C. Campbell shows it’s something you can anticipate and plan for.
In this chapter, we’ll explore the adoption curve, trend waves, and why being first isn’t always the best. Get ready to learn how to read the market like a surfer reads the ocean—and how to position yourself before the big wave hits.
⏰ Timing Is Essential
Campbell emphasizes that the correct timing often separates successful startups from failures. Entrepreneurs who understand the tech adoption curve know how to ride momentum, not fight against it (Campbell, 2023).
📊 The Startup Wave Chart
Campbell introduces a wave diagram adapted from Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm:
Moore, G. A. (2014).
- Start: Tech Enthusiasts, Innovators
- Early Adopters: Visionaries
- The Chasm (most startups fail here)
- Scale: Early Majority, Pragmatists
- Exit: Late Majority, Conservatives
- End: Laggards, Skeptics
This model helps founders time their efforts and identify where customers are in their adoption journey.
🚦 Ideas Live in the Future
Campbell writes that startup success often depends on seeing just slightly ahead of the curve, not too early, not too late. “The best companies deliver when the market is ready, not just when they are.”
⚡ It’s Not About Being First — It’s About Delivering Fast
Being the first to market isn’t a guarantee of success. Fast followers who execute well often outperform first movers. Campbell stresses: speed of delivery trumps speed of idea.
🧠 Don’t Try to Change Customer Behavior
Focus on existing behavior and make it easier, faster, or cheaper—not different. Attempting to change human nature is a futile endeavor.
🔬 Depth Before Breadth
Don’t chase every customer. Focus deeply on a specific segment and win their trust. Campbell says this gives you more traction—and more referrals.
🏢 Beat Big Corporations, Then Sell to Them
Disrupt with speed, then consider strategic partnerships or acquisitions. Campbell encourages founders to prove value, then leverage their edge.
📈 Watch These Trends
Campbell shares some key trend categories to watch right now, including AI (such as ChatGPT), e-commerce, blockchain, AR/VR, gene editing, drones, cloud technology, online education, and sustainability startups.
💡 Final Takeaway:
Chapter 3 focuses on market awareness. Winning startups don’t just build great products—they build them at the right time. Train yourself to watch trends and anticipate change.
🔁 Coming Next: Chapter 4 – Focus on Something You and Others Love
In the next breakdown, we’ll tackle why loving your idea (and knowing others do too) is the ultimate entrepreneurial advantage.
💬 What Wave Are You Riding?
Tag me on LinkedIn @Brent Parker and share the trends you’re watching or the wave you want to catch. Let’s build in the right direction—together.
📚 References (APA Style)
Campbell, C. C. (2023). Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Wiley.
Moore, G. A. (2014). Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers (3rd ed.). HarperBusiness.