The top four of five positions within an industry will change frequently. But it is in the top four or five positions that you want to be. Lower than that will require you to price you copycat products at a commodity level, and that will leave you with insufficient margin to pay for the research and development necessary to work you way up to the top level. However, excellence and innovation are not enough. Anticipation provides you with the information that allows you to be in the right place at the right time with you excellent innovative product or service.
Anticipation is the final element of the triad.
This triad allows you to predict you customer needs, innovate the products or services required to fulfill them, and produce those products and services excellently. This book is about innovation and anticipation. About the Author - Joel Arthur Barker has been a teacher and advertising executive and has served as director of the Future Studies Department of the Science Museum of Minnesota. You are encouraged to e-mail comments on this topic to support constructive conversation. Your suggestions on additional topics are welcome.