I notice that many blockchain projects encounter the same bottleneck in their early stages.

Industry insiders say you're good. They say you have potential. They say your ideas are quite right. And then, nothing happens.

It stalls here. It stops at a compliment. It remains in the circle of observation. It gets stuck in various reposts. No one is willing to truly integrate you into the core process. No one makes a final decision in internal meetings. No one includes you in the terms of external collaborations. And even less willing to be the first to take the risk and face possible consequences.

This stage is the most torturous. And the most real.

Because it exposes a fact: in the infrastructure field, competition often isn't about the functionality itself, but about endorsement.

Endorsement is very pragmatic. It’s not about praise or likes. Endorsement is about tying your name and responsibility tightly together. It’s about someone willing to stand publicly and say: I choose you, I entrust you with this critical task, and I take full responsibility for this decision.

That’s why many decision-makers prefer to choose familiar solutions. Even if they’re not perfect. Even if they have obvious flaws. Because what does familiarity represent? It means that if something goes wrong, you won’t be standing alone in the spotlight. It means you can find consensus accepted by the entire industry. It means you can cite a bunch of similar successful cases. It means predecessors have already tread this path and left traces. It means a group of people understand why you made this choice.

How much does this psychological burden affect a responsible person? It’s huge.

So when people talk about adoption rates, market penetration, and other metrics, don’t simply interpret them as user growth. Adoption is a decision at the organizational level. Behind this decision are risk calculations and responsibility assumptions. And responsibility — it’s always a watchful eye, staring at you. When something goes wrong, how do you explain to your leaders? How do you justify to your team?

Many believe that as long as the product is good enough, the market will naturally give you a place. Naive. The reality is: a good product is just the passing grade. You also need to do the second layer of homework — ensure that those who actually use your product can stand firm within their organization. Make sure they can clearly explain why they chose you in review meetings. Make sure they can confidently mention your name in partnership agreements. Make sure they won’t be questioned because of this choice.

This is the true path from observation to adoption.