The Benefits of Not Being An Early Adopter

Every time a new iPhone comes out, a wave of customers purchases it the day it becomes available. These iPhone super-fans are a part of a select group of early adopters. They read the tech rumors in April. They tune in to the keynote event. They stand in line at the store. 

And then they get it first. 

I have no judgement for people who do this–if they enjoy spending time and money on this, they can be my guest. 

But ironically, maybe the early adopters know less about the product than those who purchase it eight months later. 

When something new arises, early adopters adopt early to gain a cultural edge. They read tech rumors to chat about it with their community. They stand in line to feel the excitement of being one of the first. In short, they’re drinking the kool-aid. Early adopters don’t adopt early because they know something we don’t. They adopt early as a reflection of who they are. 

There’s a distinct advantage to not being an early adopter. For starters, early adopters are more likely to fall victim to faulty products. Early adopters don’t get deals and can’t read consumer reviews. But most of all, early adopters don’t have an objective view on how new products affect their lives. They can’t compare their lives before and after objectively, without financial investment.

I was very late to the smartphone game. Late to the social media sphere. Late to the dating world. And guess what? I’m turning out just fine. Smartphones are so user-friendly, I caught up to my friends in no time. Joining Instagram later than my friends gave me a distinct understanding of the ways I didn’t want it to affect my life. Dating later than many of my friends gave me data on the kinds of dating prospects to avoid. 

Corporations want the group of early adopters to grow. So they use insider vs. outsider language to make being an early adopter seem like the best choice. They won’t stop marketing this point–it increases their profits.

But you and I can keep in mind that there are distinct advantages to waiting just a little bit.