Geoffrey Moore covers this in Crossing the Chasm [1]. He basically suggests that you have to specialize in an industry vertical to get beyond the early adopters and into the masses. Once you cross enough verticals, then you can come back and be a more general product.
I've also heard YAGNI [2] shouted at generalizations. People can spend too much time generalizing problems for broader application that never comes. I don't know the right answer here, as it seems hard to measure how likely it will be that any generalization will be reused later. Perhaps it's ultimately judgment.
I've also heard YAGNI [2] shouted at generalizations. People can spend too much time generalizing problems for broader application that never comes. I don't know the right answer here, as it seems hard to measure how likely it will be that any generalization will be reused later. Perhaps it's ultimately judgment.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-Disruptive-Ma...
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_aren't_gonna_need_it
http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Geoffrey-Moore/dp/00605...
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-New-Market-Space-Innovative/dp...
One other book that is considered a classic is "Crossing the chasm"
http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-Disruptive-Ma...
I've been asking for positive examples for years, and I still see no signs that Bitcoin is poised for more than niche adoption. Sure, if you want to do something modestly illegal, like buying gray market prescription drugs, Bitcoin may fill a niche. But it hasn't caught on for legal transactions, and its traceability makes it bad for seriously illegal activities. And even if you're only doing something modestly illegal, you have to be pretty technical and pretty dedicated to make it work. For most people it's way easier to give cash to their friendly local drug dealer.
So yes, it doesn't have strong fundamentals. The underlying commodity, long integers, is freely available. Despite years of "Bitcoin will be widespread soon" puffery, the use value is very weak compared with alternatives. At least you could plant tulip bulbs.