I think most of the big successes that came out of the dotcom era were the ones that applied internet technologies to enhance markets that already existed. Ama

I think most of the big successes that came out of the dotcom era were the ones that applied internet technologies to enhance markets that already existed. Amazon worked; bookstores are a very viable market. Ebay worked; flea markets are common in every town. PayPal worked; everyone has a checking account. There are also plenty of pet stores. Pets.com could have easily been a success if they had built their company properly. What you're saying seems to validate the article's point: execute a proven "commodity" idea well, and you can succeed. Bet the company on an experimental vision, and you risk failure.