When newness fades, the following are two critical lessons to learn about newness:

1. At some point it will fade, when is that point?
2. When is the perfect timing to introduce the new newness?

Companies that fail to introduce the newness often leave it too late to do so and are ultimately left behind to perish.

When you allow the competition to create the second curve instead of you, your end is near.

Despite all the warnings, Kodak missed numerous opportunities to start the second curve until it was too late and had to file for bankruptcy.

Steve Jobs of Apple was, by all accounts, a difficult man to work with, but he was the master of new introducing second curves before newness fades.

By the time that the Macintosh computer was a proven success Jobs and his creative team were already planning to enter the music business with the iPod.

By the time the iPod begun to dominate the market Jobs and his creative team were already working on designing the iPhone.

By the time the iPhone’s sales were increasing and dominating the smartphone space Jobs and his creative team were working on the iPad which proved to a success.

While looking at these products, new improved versions of each product was introduced creating more curves on existing curves.

Each new curve was conceived before the last one peaked.

The ability to introduce newness before the first newness fades requires imagination, intuition and instinct more than rational analysis.

Then to act on that instinct requires courage to step into the unknown when everyone is telling you it is unnecessary because your current newness is still shiny and bright.

It is better to disrupt yourself than for someone to disrupt you.

Sometimes the shine and brightness of the newness blinds and intoxicates us that we miss the timing of the second curve.

Bill Gates talks about success being a lousy teacher because it seduces great men to think that they can’t lose.

Success creates comfort zones and nothing really grows there.

Perfect time to change? Change before you have to.