The Other Side of the Technology Curve

So, recently, someone gave me some photos they had taken during a church event.  I thought it was very thoughtful, but there was one issue.  It wasn’t that they were in an incompatible file format or that they were so large it took awhile to download.  

They were photos.  On paper.  As in developed, old fashioned photos.

That’s when I realized I am officially living on the other side of the technology curve.

The technology curve is the point of convergence where a new disruptive technology takes the place of one that is established.  Past the point of the curve, the older technology becomes useless (meaning it is used less) and the newer tech is useful (meaning it starts to be used fully).

It’s not that long ago that digital photos, while convenient, weren’t really useful to me.  I burned through plenty of ink cartridges and over-priced paper trying to unsuccessfully replicate photos as I knew them.

As the technology matured in acceptance and quality, it became easier to deal in digital than paper. 

Sitting here on the other side of the tech curve, it is easy to understand how relevant the new tech is.  But what new disruptive technologies have not yet crossed the line of mass acceptance, but are on the verge of breaking through?  How can we best adopt them and capture their benefits and use them to further our mission or vision?