Interesting points and useful analogies. But, I think it would be better framed within a specific subset of businesses rather than all startups. Also some subse

Interesting points and useful analogies. But, I think it would be better framed within a specific subset of businesses rather than all startups. Also some subset of strategies. Classical disruption for example, suggests a completely different strategy. Start with rats (ie an animal no one else even considers game). That is usually applied in a context where a rapidly improving disruptive technology is at the core of the business and it is getting ready to eat everything else. But it works in some other cases too. Adwords started as a service for fringe advertisers (rats to most ad sellers). Bullshit infoproducts, affiliate marketers & micro-businesses spending $5 on 100 clicks. They quickly moved into rabbits (ISPs, online businesses) and giant rats (that happens when your service is so useful, it actually makes customers). Deer came easily. Local dentists, ISPs, virtually every SME had an online marketing consultant at the door. Adwords is ideal for deer. Before that all they had was expensive and unreliable local media ads and trade rags. These days adwords gets a nice amount of elephant meat in its diet and they still do it with rat guns. Its great to hear entrepreneurs argue about things in such definite terms. They are basically making the case for their way. I think the main thing to take away though is to be extremely aware of what you are hunting. Make a conscious decision. Pick a strategy that works for your game and be aware of the risk profiles and gotchas of the strategy. They all have them.