Four things:

* 66 years of experience with humans' voracious appetite for material things.
* The concept, "build it and they will come".
* The news I've seen regarding the development. It already looks too good to fail.
* Competiton. Each of the big three cannot take the chance that someone else will get there first. They will have to try to get this on the market as soon as they can.

All of the above assume that it works well. This is one development you absolutely don't want to beta test on the public. Anything less than excellent performance right out the gate will put the whole development back years.

I don't know who you were pitching to, but when SRAM or Shimano bring it out, I am ready to buy it (or at least determine if I can afford it for three bikes). And I have been doing this for a long time. Knowing how to shift proficiently doesn't mean I like to. Why wouldn't I want to let a robot do an onerous job if it can do it right?

But just to be clear, you did notice that I said "when the technology is finally available commercially". That could be the hang-up. I don't know whether you are an independent developer or you work for a major bike parts supplier or even one of the big three. But where this comes from will make a big difference. The hard sale will be either to one of the big three or within those companies themselves. The public is going to be the easy part.