From: Bil Kleb <Bil.Kleb@...>
Date: 2006-02-02T06:52:23+09:00
Subject: Re: About rant on Dave Thomas site, titled 'imitation...'

Dave Thomas wrote:
> 
> My post came from a frustration that there doesn't seem to
> be this kind of vitality.

This mechanics behind this lack of vitality is well
documented in Christensen's /The Innovator's Dilemma/.
It's a depressing book for established companies.  Here's
a two-paragraph summary I wrote a while back,

  The slope of technology development is typically steeper than
  a given customer�s demand for it. Therefore, an opportunity exists
  for disruptive technology to sneak in from below and win those
  customers from the sustaining technology provider that is naturally
  moving up market.

  The dilemma is that the sustaining technology folks view the
  disruptive technology folks as insignificant until it is too
  late. Furthermore, the sustaining technology folks operate in
  a higher-cost value-web that decimates their ability to compete
  with the disruptive technology folks.

This also sheds light on the current interplay between Ruby/Rails
and the established "super platforms".

Later,
--
Bil Kleb
http://fun3d.larc.nasa.gov