Can something be too innovative? This is the question currently on my mind, based on my last five+ years of co-pioneering this amazing organic technology called Catawater.
In the early days, my partner (the CEO of Catawater) invited me to join him at a meeting with a highly successful businessman in Dallas. I was predicting my assumption of the future of Catawater technology when the businessman reached in his desk and handed me another innovation he was developing.
I was quite impressed, as I was familiar with the device he handed me. He explained how he had been working on this device for seven years before he ever sold his first one and that typically it takes this long for people to accept change or adapt to new things. Now, let me fully disclose, his first sale was a multimillion-dollar federal government defense contract order, so I don’t feel sorry for him, but his point was well made. You see, at that time I had only been working with Catawater for a few months and I simply thought as soon as everyone one else realized how great this stuff is, it would take off like a rocket ship. The Dallas businessman was obviously attempting to mitigate what he imagined was inevitably going to be a disappointment in reality. This ultimately became the fuel for my determination.
I know now the more innovative a technology, product or device is the harder it is to bring it to market. It’s all relative, really. The further “out there” something is, the harder it is for people to understand it and how it may apply to what they do. Couple that with the seven-year development/go-to-market process and you better have some very polished patience skills.
That said, five and a half years of this cycle is water under the bridge (pardon the pun). We have achieved success without failure. Several industries are taking advantage of our technology and our customer base is growing every day. I would say we are on the home stretch, so what’s another year and a half?
Keep an eye out for Catawater, folks. The “too innovative” cycle is coming to an end.
Take care…
Steve
