Industries and technologies do not move in straight lines. They follow a recurring arc:
- Exuberance: hype, over-investment, inflated expectations.
- Pullback: correction, cost-cutting, disillusionment.
- Equilibrium: mature, sustainable adoption.
The Pendulum is a tool for locating where a technology or market behaviour sits in that cycle, and for resisting the temptation to mistake the peak of hype for the new normal.
First unveiled at the 2026 MediaTech Festival, the Pendulum is a framework I regularly apply in client engagements across research, strategy, and positioning work.