“Opportunity knocks when. . .”

“Opportunity knocks when a technology break or other fundamental change comes your way. Grab it.

The first mover and only the first mover, the company that acts while the others dither, has a true opportunity to gain time over its competitors—and time advantage. . . is the surest way to gain market share. . .

The biggest danger facing an early-mover company is that it may have a hard time distinguishing a signal from a noise and start to respond to an inflection point that isn’t one. Moreover, even if it is right in its response, it is likely to be ahead of its market. . . .

But offsetting these dangers is the possibility of greater rewards: The early movers are the only companies that have the potential to affect the structure of the industry and to define how the game is played by others. Only by such a strategy can you hope to compete for the future and shape your destiny to your advantage.”