many really creative types are often problems for society-- their new idea's/creations often cause more problems then they solve. they are not trend setters, or entrepenours.
Early adaptors are something else. there is a difference between early adapters
early adaptors are people who addapt to new technology, or lifestyles, or foods, or anything, readily) Early addaptors are the ones who create new markets. they are the ones who bought video cameras when they weights 'only 7 lbs', and started to make home made video's... and created the idea/market place for video cameras, (which became cheaper, and light, and easier to use with time.)
Early adapters (a personality trait!) can more easily find and buy new ideas/tecknology in cities, and single (or childless) people tend to have more disposable income to spend on new technologies, (but--but being young and single and upwardly mobile is not a requirement!)
Were you the first family on you block/nieghborhood to have a computer?cell phone? blackberry? digital camera?
did you buy a Pashima 5 years ago? or last year? early adaptors find/buy new technology and use it in ways that the manufactor never thought of--and as the uses for the technology grows, so do the sales, (and the price comes down, and features go up!) --text messaging is a 'feature' of phones that was 90% 'developed' by early cell phone/beeper users!
I think there is a difference between being creative, and being an early adapter (but the two types often overlap!)
and yeah, early adaptors are useful to marketplace driven economies.
"creative class"
