In the world of startups, few concepts are as pivotal—or as misunderstood—as crossing the chasm. Coined by Geoffrey Moore in 1991, the idea captures a profound truth: many startups can win over early adopters, but only a fraction successfully break into the mainstream market. That daunting gap between enthusiastic innovators and pragmatic customers is the “chasm,” and whether a startup crosses it often determines its long-term viability.
William Carbone, co-founder and CEO of Evalify, sheds valuable insight into why this transition is so difficult, what founders often get wrong, and how intellectual property (IP) and strategic agility can become the tools that move startups from promise to real market traction.
What Does It Really Mean to Cross the Chasm?
Startups often begin by attracting innovators and early adopters—people who love novelty, embrace risks, and forgive imperfections. But mainstream buyers are different. They want reliability, proven value, and clear use cases. They’re less enchanted by “new,” and more interested in whether a product meaningfully solves their problems.
Crossing the chasm requires much more than enthusiasm and product passion. It demands:
- Shifting from product-focused to customer-focused thinking
- Building infrastructure that can serve larger, more demanding audiences
- Aligning the business model with scalable market realities
- Understanding a market segment deeply enough to meet its expectations
It is, as Carbone puts it, a “rite of passage” that signals whether a company is positioned for sustainable growth.
Why Many Startups Struggle: Common Missteps
Carbone highlights several recurring challenges entrepreneurs face as they attempt to scale:
1. Misreading the Market
Early interest can create a false sense of security. The needs of early adopters rarely reflect the needs of the majority. Failing to recognize this distinction leads startups to build the wrong features, pursue the wrong customers, or scale too early.
2. Lack of Focus
New founders often chase every opportunity—and every “yes”—instead of focusing on the customers they can serve best. With limited team capacity, lack of prioritization leads to diluted efforts and scattered execution.
3. Underestimating the Complexity of Scaling
Infrastructure, support systems, operations, and predictable workflows matter far more to mainstream buyers than to early adopters. Many startups simply aren’t ready.
4. Poor Strategic Positioning
In a noisy market, products must stand out with a clear narrative, not just great technology. Startups frequently struggle to articulate differentiated value in a way mainstream audiences trust.
The Role of Intellectual Property in Crossing the Chasm
One of Carbone’s strongest messages is that IP isn’t just a legal tool—it’s a strategic asset that can guide decision-making, reduce risk, and unlock opportunities before a product ever reaches the market.
How Startups Should Think About IP
- Protect your core innovations early. Patents, trademarks, and copyrights act as “security systems” for your ideas, preventing competitors from appropriating your work.
- Leverage IP for partnerships. Licensing and collaborations can multiply your reach and credibility, especially as you prepare for mainstream adoption.
- Use patent data as a market compass. Patent trends reveal where technology is heading—often before products appear. This foresight can inform pivot decisions, investment choices, and competitive strategy.
- Consider IP an asset, not an expense. Even if a startup pivots, a strong patent can hold independent commercial value.
Carbone’s company, Evalify, uses smart patent risk assessment to help investors and founders understand whether an idea is viable, where “white spaces” exist in the market, and whether a pivot is strategically advisable—all before significant capital is deployed.
Lessons Learned From the Journey
Carbone shares real-world experience from building Evalify:
1. Say “no” more often.
Startups naturally want to chase every promising lead, but real traction comes from focus. Identifying the right customer segment early—even if that means declining other opportunities—is essential.
2. Optimize for efficiency.
A small team must learn where its effort creates the most value. Overextending leads to burnout and slows progress across the board.
3. Be willing to pivot.
Evalify refined its entire business model after recognizing that their tools and insights were far more valuable to investors than founders. Staying rigid would have limited impact and traction.
4. Build with market data, not assumptions.
Patent datasets, customer feedback, and real technology trends—not instinct—should shape product evolution.
The Misalignment Between Early Adopters and Mainstream Buyers
A critical insight is understanding that the two groups behave—and buy—very differently:
Early Adopters
- Love experimentation
- Forgive bugs and imperfections
- Provide constructive feedback
- Embrace risks
- Seek novelty
Mainstream Customers
- Avoid risk
- Demand reliability
- Expect references and proof
- Value ROI over innovation
- Prefer established solutions
For global products, this even varies by region. For example, some Asian markets require multiple validated references before adopting a new technology, while German companies in certain sectors insist on being first movers.
Recognizing and respecting these differences allows startups to tailor messaging, product maturity, and market approach accordingly.
How Smart Patent Risk Assessment Helps Startups and Investors
Evalify’s methodology transforms patent data into actionable intelligence.
Investors can:
- Identify risks before reviewing a pitch deck
- Determine whether a startup needs a pivot
- See whether a business is entering a crowded, risky, or unprotected space
- Discover underexplored opportunities through white-space analysis
Founders can:
- Validate whether their idea is novel and defensible
- Align their product roadmap with emerging technological trends
- Avoid building in dead-end or oversaturated markets
This kind of data-driven approach is especially vital as AI, quantum computing, and emerging technologies accelerate at unprecedented speeds.
AI and Patents: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know
AI is everywhere, but many founders misunderstand how patents work in this space.
Carbone emphasizes that:
- The patent process is fundamentally the same for AI, but the interpretation and scrutiny can differ.
- Founders should avoid using “AI” as a keyword in a patent filing, as it often triggers longer review times.
- IP issues in AI are growing, especially as models unintentionally learn from copyrighted materials.
- Creators (authors, artists, filmmakers) are increasingly protective as generative tools raise questions about originality and ownership.
The takeaway: AI businesses still need strong, early IP protection—and must navigate it more carefully than ever.
Agility: The Secret Ingredient to Crossing the Chasm
In fast-moving markets, adaptability is a survival skill.
To successfully scale, startups must:
- Actively monitor technology shifts
- Stay attuned to user feedback
- Pivot when needed—not as a sign of failure, but evolution
- Update their IP strategy as the business changes
- Balance speed with strategic protection
Agility doesn’t replace structure. It complements it. The companies that thrive are those that learn fast, adjust fast, and protect their innovations along the way.
The Big Picture: Crossing the Chasm Is a Strategic Transformation
Crossing the chasm isn’t a single decision or moment—it’s a period of disciplined growth, informed choices, and strategic clarity. It requires:
- Rigorous market understanding
- Maintaining focus
- Protecting and leveraging intellectual property
- Listening to early adopters, but preparing for mainstream buyers
- Staying agile in the face of rapid change
- Building processes that scale beyond a passionate niche
It’s less about luck and more about intentional, informed evolution. Startups that master this transition don’t just survive—they lead.
