Often innovations arrive before the world is ready for them.

In 2009, Mattel released the Mindflex — a toy that let you move a ball through an obstacle course with your brain.

It was based on EEG tech, years ahead of consumer acceptance, and it sold modestly before disappearing two years later.

But the idea didn’t die — today, brain-computer interfaces are a booming space, and the tech is far more accessible.

Being too early is as dangerous as being too late.

History is littered with great products that missed their moment — sometimes by years — because they solved a problem nobody KNEW they had yet.

Or needed infrastructures that weren’t quite mature enough.

That doesn’t always mean you shelve your idea.

It can mean you shift your strategy from selling to seeding.

Build credibility.

Educate the right audience.

Become the category voice so that when the market catches up, you’re the one holding the mic.

This is where patience becomes a growth tactic.

The infrastructure, technology and the market need to be ready.

Electric cars were around for a hundred years, but we needed better batteries, lots of charging stations — and willingness from car buyers to make changes in their own lifestyles.

If you can’t speed up market readiness yourself, you can begin to shape it.

Show use cases.

Align with visible trends.

Partner with brands or influencers who can normalize your product before customers even realize they need it.

Want to make your product irresistible? That’s what we work to do as product positioning consultants at Graphos Product, helping innovators turn need-driven ideas into market-ready successes.