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The Idea of Diffusion

What is Diffusion?

In the business context, diffusion is the process by which an idea or
offering spreads through the context (population of potential users) or
more narrowly is adopted by users.

From Emergence to Diffusion

An idea or technology emerges as agents interact in the context of

prior knowledge and develop synergies that lead to new higher level
functionalities. They do this by pursuing their own local interests
within the context of their times.

Once an idea has emerged it may remain local and unknown to the

mass of other agents or it may spread and impact the actions of other
actors. The spreading can be spontaneous or it can be managed/driven.
The process of spreading is technically called diffusion.

Diffusion, from a business perspective, is the process by which the idea
or offering spreads through the agents in a context leading to its

adoption or rejection.

As a corollary, the new idea typically displaces prior accepted ideas or
offerings that met the same need leading to the collapse of established
worldviews or a decline of business models dependent on the prior

idea.

Diffusion-displacement may be rapid or slow as practical factors (such
as replacing infrastructure or active defense of the old by adherents
with power/influence) intervene. Example, streaming technology on

the internet has been available for some time, but it is only recently
that the 'unhooking cable' movement has really made a measurable

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