Time was when many people thought the best way with new products was to be second in the market, letting the pioneer create the market, make all the mistakes and incur the losses. All that has changed, and the pressure is now on companies, not only to get the product right but also to be the first, so as to establish a controlling share of the market. The example of foreign companies which have captured so much of what used to be thought of as British markets — including the home market — has made firms think again about getting in first with new ideas.