Crossing the Chasm

Marketing and Selling Technology Projects to Mainstream Customers

By: Geoffrey A. Moore

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is the best-selling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries. Crossing the Chasm has become the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. This edition provides new insights into the realities of high-tech marketing, with special emphasis on the Internet. It's essential reading for anyone with a stake in the world's most exciting marketplace.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 Geoffrey A. Moore (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Outdated

What would have made Crossing the Chasm better?

This book may have some good points, but it needs to be updated with more current examples.

What was most disappointing about Geoffrey A. Moore’s story?

It was set in the '90s - the technologies discussed are old. I don't even think the way to reach mainstream consumers is the same.

Antiquated and irrelevant

Would you try another book from Geoffrey A. Moore and/or Mike Chamberlain?

Doubtful. They should have never brought this book back from the dead. Although it was entertaining to hear about Apple's new Macintosh computer and all of the Star Wars references and quotes.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something current regarding marketing, rather than hearing about the consumer dichotomy between Coral suite and Lenox...

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Well the Paul Harvey reference made me chuckle...

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

My reaction was "I just got ripped off" This book is a book about marketing technology that was written in the 80's and then updated for the '90's. The audio portion was published 2012 but the book is the same book written in the '90's.

Any additional comments?

Useless book.

Incredible insight

Where does Crossing the Chasm rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I was concerned that this book's info might be outdated. Instead, it is now on my top 5 best business books. Not only does the author present great concepts about the technology adoption lifecycle, he also offers very valid and realistic advise for managing your way through the journey. I'll likely re-read this book several times. Highly recommend it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crossing the Chasm?

Defining the "beach head" strategy - finding one very specific target market and going after it with full force. This seems like marketing 101, but the author goes into great detail about why this is so important when crossing the chasm. Uses D-Day as an analogy.

What does Mike Chamberlain bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator was very good. Easy to listen too.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's too long for one sitting. Plus, I found myself listening to a section, then letting the concepts sink in. Then I'd either move on or listen to the section again. There were 3 or 4 sections that I listened to twice so I could get my head wrapped around the information.

Any additional comments?

Don't pass this up if you are building a web product, SaSS company, or a start up. Very important read.

Idea is great but the content is very outdated

The core idea that a lot of companies who struggle to cross the chasm end up failing is a great. However, the content of the book is very outdated. In the new age of startups, lean methodology, continuous delivery, etc the concept of chasm has completely changed. Unfortunately, the book doesn't have substantial examples and case studies for the 21st century products. Due to this reasons i didn't find this book valuable and couldn't continue listening to it all the way.

Yes, it refers to the times when Yahoo was you search engine

... But you still probably should read this book.

This book covers some of the most fundamental problems that tech disrupters face, ideas articulated in the book became widely shared truths ( difference between early adopters and market as a whole, necessity to focus on a small niche, need for changing people in charge as company grows etc. )

Bonus - it is really interesting to read about the companies that now as far from being called "a startup" at it possible (adobe probably a good example).

Misleading Release Date of 2012. content date:1998

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would update it to present day. The book is extremely insightful and some of the practices hold true, but it's misleading that the release date says 2012.

What could Geoffrey A. Moore have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

He could have included a couple of jokes in the book. Lawyer jokes are usually good. Also, Attorney jokes are funny.
Or he could have made me a sandwich while I was reading it. That would have been great.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Seriously? A book about segmenting markets and focusing efforts to cross an invisible chasm between innovators/visionaries and early stage adopters? That sounds like it would be a fascinating movie. Sign me up for the rights. Maybe we can cast Colin Powell, Ben Stein and Margaret Thatcher to really push it over the top of excitement.

"Filling the Chasm", on the other hand might be a movie that more people would see. Not me, of course. That's gross.

Required reading if you're in the technology biz

It is hard to overstate the relevance and importance of the technology adoption curve and the chasm inherent in it introduced my Moore. I read the book in the 1990s. It was finally released on audible just this week. The technology adoption curve speaks to the five classes of adopters: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. The chasm sits between the early adopters and the early majority. If you want to find out why and how to overcome this potential trap, you are going to have read this fascinating work by Geoffrey Moore.

I have made this required reading for my staff in marketing, sales and software documentation. I have also insisted on individuals starting out in tech read this book especially if they are trying to understand how to craft value propositions. It has something for us old grizzled veterans because it reminds of things we forget or sometimes just don’t take the time to do anymore. Sales folks will benefit because it explains why some people buy and some don’t. This is one of those books you'll have to have in your library. You should also have a hard copy to make a ton of notes in the margin.

Timeless classic

The examples discussed are very old but the message remains evergreen. After all this is a book of understanding human behavior types and using it in marketing disruptive technology.

Still trying to get through it...

What disappointed you about Crossing the Chasm?

I have had some problems with the download so its not entirely the authors or narrators fault, but I am struggling to really get into this book. The content is important to me and so I keep trying, but I keep thinking about how those that cant do teach... Its just what keeps going through my head while listening.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

It all seems to be based on "looking back" on successes and failures. I think it is easy to look backwards and make judgments, but why not take a stance and make some predictions about companies in the now and future? If you really know your stuff than put it out there for all to judge.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Mike Chamberlain?

Bill O'Reilly

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Sure it did/does. Still trying to get through it and maybe I will have some groundbreaking insights once I'm finished.

A great book. Not the latest edition.

I don't often if ever leave a review. But what Audible did here requires a response.

I think that the book is good. I should have read it earlier on as I learned a lot the hard way throughout my career.

But..... this is not the latest edition, and while the book aged well, it did age. I would have preferred spending the time reading the latest edition, and nothing in the book description on the Audible site or app tells you that.

Hence the good performance and story score, and the low overall score.

Look for the 3rd edition elsewhere, the book is worth it.

Outdated, but inspiring. Would be better in print.

a good piece of content if you're looking for an inspiration, nevertheless toy shall not expect any straightforward conclusions

the book with its examples is outdated and totally misses the e-/m-commerce and various internet channels (internet is treated as a channel, as a whole)
also it is funny/interesting to learn about 90's best practices, which are almost totally wiped out nowadays ;P

the book has not been optimised for reading and printed examples are missing (especially when used as a reference)

on the other hand, it is like more of a must-read for marketers, and it elaborates well on the topic of entering the mass market challenges. one needs to be prepared to do the application of modern examples on your own