A few weeks ago, for the first time in history in any national sports league (e.g., MLB, NBA and NHL), all seven games of a World Series were won by the away team. This is an especially novel stat and feat, as the home team usually has a unique advantage over the away team in understanding the intricacies of the field and, of course, having thousands and thousands of fans cheering them on. In honor of this first, I wanted to touch on why it can be good to be the first.
Although it can be scary or nerve-wracking to be in unmarked territory as the first, being the first to do something can give you an advantage (i.e. first mover advantage). This is because being first is new, exciting, novel, and memorable. If publicized correctly, the world will remember the first mover with the newly marked territory. For example, who was the first president?... George Washington, right?... Who was the second president? Or, who was the first person on the moon?... Neil Armstrong, right?... Who was the second person on the moon?
The downside of being the first is that copycats will follow. So, be sure to harness your first mover advantage to your benefit, keep your advantage, and stay ahead of the copycats.