Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Using MOJO to Rethink the Adoption Curve and Launch Truly Remarkable Ideas

What if we could pull back the curtain on the underlying human motivations that drive each segment of the adoption curve and their emotional responses to “remarkable” ideas?

You’ve heard the old story many times: a brilliant idea emerges, the creator refines it, launches it, and then…crickets. Meanwhile, other innovations skyrocket. We have long relied on Everett Rogers’ famous “diffusion of innovation” curve—mapping Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards—to understand how ideas spread. This classic framework, combined with Seth Godin’s call to create “Purple Cows”—products so remarkable they’re worth talking about—has guided countless go-to-market strategies.

Yet even as we stand on the shoulders of these giants, we find ourselves wanting something more precise. We need a framework that explains not just when and how new ideas spread, but why. What if we could pull back the curtain on the underlying human motivations that drive each segment of the adoption curve and their emotional responses to “remarkable” ideas? Enter MOJO: a motivational lens that reveals the core drivers and fears at the heart of human behavior—allowing us to design go-to-market (GTM) strategies that are not only innovative but deeply resonant. [Click here for my first article about the MOJO framework.]

Moving Beyond the Usual Scripts

Rogers gave us a groundbreaking structure to understand the sequence of adopters. Godin challenged us to deliver something so extraordinary that people want to share it. Yet we often assume that “early adopters love novelty” or “late majority craves social proof.” These notions, while true, lack the nuance to craft truly compelling GTM strategies.

Instead of lumping early adopters into a single “they love newness” bucket, we can understand precisely which motivators and fears dominate.

MOJO (short for MOtivational JOurney) breaks down human motivation into five key drivers, each tied to a fear that holds us back. More than abstract concepts, these are visceral, evolutionarily rooted patterns that shape how people decide to embrace or reject something new:

1. Social Competition (Fear of Being Found Out): Some adopt early to gain status, to stand out, to be seen as visionaries. But they fear being exposed as naive or backing the wrong horse.

2. Social Cooperation (Fear of Social Disapproval): Others wait for a signal from their trusted community. They need confidence that this idea aligns with the tribe’s values. Their fear is stepping out of line and facing judgment or exclusion.

3. Mastery (Fear of Making Mistakes): Certain adopters want clarity on how this product works, evidence that they can master it without embarrassment. They need reassurance before taking the leap.

4. Exploration (Fear of Uncertainty): Some thrive on frontier territory. Innovators and early adopters often love the unknown—yet even they fear a leap into total darkness. They want just enough guidance to treat the unknown as a thrilling adventure, not a bottomless pit.

5. Curiosity (Fear of Unknowns): Lastly, many adopt when their hunger for understanding outweighs the anxiety of incomplete information. Triggering curiosity without leaving them feeling lost is key.

Combining MOJO’s motivational specificity with Rogers’ adoption curve offers a new dimension: Instead of lumping early adopters into a single “they love newness” bucket, we can understand precisely which motivators and fears dominate. This allows us to tailor messaging, product features, and community-building efforts for each segment.

The MOJO Lens on Each Adoption Segment

Innovators: They’re drawn by Exploration and Curiosity. They’ll try something not just to stand out, but because diving headfirst into the unknown excites them. The fear of uncertainty exists, but for them, it’s more thrill than deterrent. Give them the “what if,” the raw potential, and they’ll jump on board—and share their excitement.

Early Adopters: Similar to Innovators, Early Adopters relish novelty, but they also care about Social Competition. They want to be seen as bold and trend-savvy without risking their credibility. A Purple Cow product appeals to their drive to signal leadership while soothing their fear of being “found out” backing a flop. Offer them insider status, early access, and just enough evidence so they can safely champion your idea.

Early Majority: Curiosity and Mastery step to the fore here. These adopters need to understand how the product works and be confident they won’t fumble. They’re not leaping into the unknown—they’re stepping onto a proven path. Show them a roadmap, tutorials, and case studies. Ease the fear of making mistakes with clear instructions and social proof, translating your Purple Cow into something that feels both distinctive and doable.

Late Majority: Social Cooperation dominates. They’ll move when their network moves, joining only when they feel safe and supported. Their biggest fear is social disapproval. They need to see that everyone like them is already on board. Highlight the community that’s formed around your product. Show them they’re not alone; by now, the product’s Purple Cow status should have settled into a cultural norm.

Laggards: Even these holdouts respond to a different mix of motivations and fears. Often their curiosity or a residual comfort in social patterns is what nudges them forward—when the old ways no longer serve them and everyone they trust has made the leap. Offer them patience, empathy, and zero pressure.

Designing a MOJO GTM Playbook

Blending MOJO with the adoption curve and Godin’s Purple Cow concept gives us a meta-level go-to-market (GTM) strategy:

1. Map Motivations to Segments: Identify which MOJO drivers and fears dominate each adopter category. Don’t just say “early adopters like novelty”; figure out if they’re driven by Social Competition or Exploration—and address their fears accordingly.

2. Sequence Your Messaging and Community Building:

? Launch for Innovators: Emphasize the unknown frontiers. Spark their Exploration and Curiosity. Show them a glimpse of the future.

? Convince Early Adopters: Highlight exclusivity, credibility, and a dash of social proof. Let them stand out as wise pioneers.

? Train Early Majority: Offer mastery pathways. Provide guidelines, case studies, and simple user experiences. Mitigate fear of mistakes.

? Validate for Late Majority: Spotlight the community embracing the innovation. Normalize the product as a safe bet.

? Welcome Laggards Gently: Be ready when they finally come around; reassure them with the stability and permanence they need.

3. Leverage Community and Storytelling: Use narratives that speak to different MOJO drivers. For Explorers, frame the product as an adventure. For those seeking cooperation, cast it as a collective journey. For mastery-seekers, present a hero’s journey from novice to expert. Tailoring stories this way breaks through motivational barriers.

4. Keep Iterating: Just as Purple Cow thinking demands continual innovation to remain remarkable, your motivational GTM map should evolve. Learn from how each segment responds. If early adopters show fear of uncertainty louder than expected, provide more clarity. If mastery-seekers aren’t moving, refine your onboarding to reduce their sense of potential failure.

A New Meta-Lens for Innovators and Early Adopters

We’re getting meta here: as an Innovator or Early Adopter reading this, think about how these ideas spread in your own network. The MOJO perspective is itself a Purple Cow—an innovation on how we think about innovation. By understanding the very drivers behind adoption, you can refine your GTM strategy to not just launch products but inspire movements.

The MOJO perspective is itself a Purple Cow—an innovation on how we think about innovation.

If you’re among the pioneering few who’ve always intuited that psychology and sociology weren’t enough, MOJO brings evolutionary nuance to the table. If you’ve known that remarkable ideas (Godin’s Purple Cows) alone don’t guarantee success, now you see how to channel motivations and address fears along the curve.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

We owe much to Everett Rogers for giving us the adoption curve, to Seth Godin for insisting on the remarkable, and to countless psychologists and sociologists who gave us foundational insights. By integrating MOJO’s motivational drivers and fears, we transcend what we’ve known. We create a playbook that isn’t just about timing and positioning—it’s about speaking directly to human nature’s evolving tapestry of drives and anxieties.

In doing so, we stand taller, see further, and launch the kind of ideas that not only excite the Innovators and Early Adopters, but continue resonating as they cascade through each stage of adoption. With MOJO guiding a motivationally-driven GTM strategy, you’re no longer guessing at why some ideas spread and others don’t. You’re orchestrating the deep currents of human motivation to turn your Purple Cow into a cultural mainstay.

[NOTE: this article was co-created with ChatGPT o1 Pro model from the brilliant humans at OpenAI .]