4 ms·

> Mark Z may look at the early-stage product himself and conclude that it's not anything special. I think he already did and bought Instagram & Whatsapp. Yea r

• djyaz1200 11y ago
  Good point!
• Elepsis 11y ago
  Of course, Microsoft itself bought into many markets once upon a time. While Excel isn't one where that was the case, its sister app PowerPoint started as Microsoft's first major acquisition. The point is, you can have that vision for a while, but eventually the market changes such that the threat (or opportunity) to your business isn't so direct to be obvious like Instagram was to Facebook.
  • SriniK 11y ago
    > but eventually the market changes Yup. Classic example of innovator's dilemma. These are the opportunities startups need to constantly find and solve. Proof that simple ideas seem so simple on the surface yet become these big opportunities. What you do with the idea/initial success is what separates these successful companies.