Archetypes of product launch by insiders, outsiders, and visionaries

Abstract What archetypes emerge from prominent episodes of product launches? This essay examines a set of episodes in information technology history that led to significant changes in industry leadership. It highlights that, in all of these instances, there is an example of a “visionary” archetype—an individual or a set of leaders who promulgate a unique view for addressing a business opportunity, which they use as they launch a new product. These archetypes are couched as insiders or outsiders depending on the firm’s status before the new product launch, and incumbent market leaders are insiders. The narrative arc is similar, as the visionary first encounters resistance and crises, must overcome challenges, and usually has to overcome skeptics via a product launch that gains market acceptance. However, the narratives of insiders and outsiders differ systematically based on their market position, leading to asymmetric approaches to market competition. This review stresses the importance of visionaries in industrial change brought about by product entry. It raises questions about integrating such narratives into the analysis of significant changes in market structure.