Path Dependence
Early choices, often accidental, lock in later ones through increasing returns: the more people use a standard, the more valuable it becomes and the harder it is to leave, regardless of whether it was the best option.
An everyday example
The QWERTY keyboard; the messaging app everyone hates and everyone uses.
What it can cost you
Being locked into a collective choice that no one would make fresh; underestimating the cost of standards adopted casually.
Warning signs
- Everyone uses it and nobody chose it.
- Leaving alone is pointless.
One thing to do
Treat standard-setting decisions as long-term; for existing lock-ins, look for coordinated migration, not solo exits.
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