3 ms·
3 interesting points. I really like how he explains the lack of open APIs in terms of giving your competitors, as opposed to your users, a chance to fill in ga
by brett 20y ago
3 interesting points.
I really like how he explains the lack of open APIs in terms of giving your competitors, as opposed to your users, a chance to fill in gaps in your service.
I can't say I have much experience with his advice on partnerships in not strategic areas. How would a startup best spot a partnership with potential to go sour as he describes?
- jwecker 20y agore: APIs. dBASE is the classic example of how to utilize this (and how to ruin it later). "Ed Esber, CEO of one-time database giant Ashton-Tate and makers of dBASE, became the target of such enmity from the dBASE development community. Esber owed his fortune to the developers of third-party dBASE products who took his usability-deficient product and created applications that people could actually operate. This didn't stop him embarking on an RIAA-style litigation campaign. At a Software Publish Association conference, Esber declared to a group of dBASE developers "Make my day!" while threatening to sue anybody who dared build a dBASE-compatible product." ( http://www.hacknot.info/hacknot/action/showEntry?eid=58 http://www.hacknot.info/hacknot/action/showEntry?eid=58 ) There was a time when there were dozens and dozens of companies who primarily added functionality to Ashton Tate's product, rather than competing with Ashton Tate.