First to Market, First to Fail? Real Causes of Enduring Market Leadership

Tellis, Gerard J.; Golder, Peter N.

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First to Market, First to Fail? Real Causes of Enduring Market Leadership

MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 65-75, Winter 1996

11 Pages Posted: 2 Jun 2006

See all articles by Gerard J. Tellis

Gerard J. Tellis

University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business, Department of Marketing

Peter N. Golder

Dartmouth College - Tuck School of Business

Abstract

Managers and entrepreneurs frequently adhere to the Motto of being the first to market. But the authors have discovered that many pioneers fail, while most current leaders are not pioneers. Using a historical method, the authors try to determine why pioneers fail and early leaders succeed. They have found that market leaders embody five factors critical to success: vision, persistence, commitment, innovation, and asset leverage.

Keywords: first to market, market leadership, innovation

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Tellis, Gerard J. and Golder, Peter N., First to Market, First to Fail? Real Causes of Enduring Market Leadership. MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 65-75, Winter 1996, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=906021