The Half-Life Niche

The chart plots how much a position sets you apart over an adoption cycle, from planting the idea to when it becomes table stakes. The red line - a focus tied to a technology - shoots up early, then falls to nothing once the tech is everywhere. The green line - a focus tied to the customer's situation - starts lower but climbs the whole way and never peaks. Build on the thing that outlives the hype, or you start over when it becomes ordinary.