The early adopter (and the dilettante)

The early adopter bought an iPhone in 2008 and never looked back. They played a few games of pickleball and then joined a club and bought the equipment. They picked up a new magazine on the newsstand and then subscribed, and they bought the new bestseller and then read the author’s other works.

The dilettante shows up early and often, but then moves on.

The early adopter and the dilettante both try out the new tech, but only one sticks around through the dip, learning from the hard parts.

The dilettante seeks out new experiences, but the early adopter adopts.

Culture needs both.

Marketers need to be aware of the different personas, and plan accordingly.

If you push for trial but don’t create the conditions for subscription and persistence, don’t be surprised if only the dilettantes show up. That might be enough, but we need to choose the audience we seek.