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Google to steal apple's thunder with their own map event on June 6th
- ChuckMcM 14y agoI really really hope this isn't a 'preview announcement' along the lines of what Microsoft used to do. For those of you who don't remember, there was a time when companies would innovate some product or service and that would get some traction with the market. Then Microsoft would jump in and say "Oh, we've been working on <x> for years and its almost here!" and then they would layout a product or service that was remarkably similar to the startups product except that it came from Microsoft instead of some 'unknown.' This tactic was designed to delay customers from adopting the technology from the new company until Microsoft could come up with an equivalent. It has always been a perfectly valid marketing tactic. I consider it the 'U' in FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt). And it works well for a while. But history tells us that once a company starts employing it, it suggests that their ability to innovate in their markets has dropped behind smaller, more nimble companies. And that generally means the company has reached the end of their 'free' growth. As an investor, I adjust my expectations on the company to grow modestly, or through acquisitions. As an employee (well at least when I was Sun this was true) I'd expect to see more and more 'cool' things that happen elsewhere per Christian's Innovator's Dilemma.