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Welcome to platform business. Anytime you build on someone's platform, using someone's API, you're at risk. Microsoft did that well against a little known com
by jscore 16y ago
Welcome to platform business. Anytime you build on someone's platform, using someone's API, you're at risk.
Microsoft did that well against a little known company called Netscape.
- mkramlich 16y agoWell, they bought Spyglass's browser, and pulled the rug out from under Netscape. The lesson is don't be the next Netscape. Be the next Spyglass.
- patrickaljord 16y agoBetting your business on hoping to be the next Tweetie or Spyglass is pure lottery though. Not worth it.
- maushu 16y agoSome would say "pure skill", but luck is indeed factored into everything.
- notahacker 16y agoThe trick is to build something which earns income in the short term (which might be the shelf life of the service)so any buyout comes as a nice little bonus rather than something you desperately need to compensate you for the time and money invested.
- nandemo 16y agoI don't think that's a good parallel. Windows is an actual platform. Microsoft thrives on third-party software that runs on Windows. There are tons of things you can build on Windows without worrying about competition from Microsoft. Twitter is more like an app than a platform. Building little apps for Twitter is like writing features for MS Outlook. You can be bought by Twitter or MS but it's a risky proposition.