Some markets exist temporarily, if only to bridge the gap between a market that’s existed for a long time and a market that doesn’t exist yet at all.
One example is Redbox.
They crushed Blockbuster (physical media rentals) during the early stages of Netflix (on-demand digital streaming), but now Redbox is dying as prominent streaming providers become more accepted by the mass market.
Another example is Coin (launched today).
It’s a card that holds multiple credit / debit / rewards cards in 1 magnetic strip.
I can only stow 2 thing in my minimalist wallet and it sucks deciding which to take with me every morning. (Needless to say I pre-ordered before the demo video finished.)
But Coin isn’t the “future,” it’s a stopgap.
The future is Square Wallet.
Not necessarily Jack’s rendition but the ability to do commerce without any hardware — be it a wallet, all-in-one-card, whatever.
And so it goes.
When you hear about an idea failing because it’s “ahead of it’s time,” the real reason is likely a lack of band-aids.
Band-Aids bridge the gap between wounds (something needing disruption) and full recovery (successfully executed innovations). They are critically important, but a means to an end nonetheless.
Know when to call it a band-aid. Know when to call it a cure.