Title: Inside the Tornado
Author: Geoffrey A. Moore
Topics: Strategy, Customer segmentation, Rapid-cycle learning
You should read if: you are planning to, or are in the process of, launching a new to the market product.
Description: In this follow on to the excellent book Crossing the Chasm, Mr. Moore provides an excellent description of the changing dynamics of a venture as it crosses the chasm between early adopter and the early majority. He begins with a recap of the topics in Crossing the Chasm, explaining the trust dynamics between the segments that cause the chasm, and providing tools to help bridge this gap. He then contrasts the business focus of product variation and rapid cycle learning of the pre-chasm business with the operational focus of the post-chasm business, where the focus is on “shipping it”. Overall this book holds a lot of ideas and frameworks that can help a new venture succeed in gaining early adopters, crossing into the early majority, and surviving and driving the torrid demand that a successful venture will encounter.