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Diffusion of Innovations & the Hype Cycle

Building something valuable is only half of innovation - it must be adopted. This module explains how new innovations spread through a market: Everett Rogers' famous adoption curve and its five adopter types, Geoffrey Moore's treacherous chasm between early adopters and the mainstream, and Gartner's Hype Cycle of inflated expectations and disillusionment. Master these and you can read - and shape - how your innovation travels.

Quick poll

When a new technology is first launched to great excitement, what usually happens next?

Pick the answer that fits you best - there's no wrong choice.

Adopters

Rogers' five types

The Chasm

Moore's gap

Hype Cycle

Gartner's curve

Factors

What drives adoption

Learning objectives

After completing this module, you'll be able to:

  • Describe Rogers' five adopter categories and the adoption bell curve
  • Explain Moore's chasm and why so many innovations die crossing it
  • Read the Gartner Hype Cycle and its five phases
  • Identify the factors that speed up or slow down adoption
  • Avoid prematurely dismissing (or over-hyping) a new innovation

In this module

Sources & Further Reading

  • •Rogers, E., Diffusion of Innovations, 5th ed., 2003.
  • •Moore, G., Crossing the Chasm, 1991 (3rd ed. 2014).
  • •Gartner, Inc., "Hype Cycle" research methodology.
  • •Global Innovation Institute (GInI), Foundations of Innovation body of knowledge.

Units in This Module