CONCEPT
Innovators (Rogers)
The first 2.5% of adopters in any social system — venturesome, cosmopolite, risk-tolerant, and frequently regarded with suspicion by the communities into which they import new ideas.
The innovators are the venturesome edge of any social system. Rogers defined them by their willingness to accept the risks of adopting something whose merits are not yet established. Their communication networks are cosmopolite — extending beyond the local community to encompass distant sources of information. They are more influenced by mass media and impersonal channels than by the interpersonal relationships that dominate later adopters' behavior. They play a crucial structural role: they import the innovation from outside the local system. But they are often regarded with suspicion by other members of that system precisely because of their cosmopolite orientation. Their role is to launch; it is rarely to lead.
In The You On AI Field Guide
Rogers's innovator profile combines psychological and structural characteristics. Psychologically, innovators tolerate uncertainty and accept the possibility of setbacks. Structurally, they have the resources — financial slack, time, social capital — to absorb the costs of failed experiments. They are typically younger, wealthier, better-educated, and more socially mobile than later adopters.
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