(2004-01-09) Oren Feature Product Company

Tim Oren on the VC question of whether you have a feature, a product, or a company. Market Research numbers have limited utility in selling VCs on the validity of these propositions. They are useful to show us that you have done your homework, but consider: Analysts exist to sell reports... Most researchers do not try to pop the balloon or rock the boat of incumbents. In many cases you will have to establish why they are wrong, why the market shares and sizes won't follow neat curves, why customers will change their behavior. That's Geoffrey Moore territory, but most analysts aren't about transformation. There are a few, and you will find some who blog on my sidebar. But, the best witness to a transformation about to happen is a customer willing to pay. (Hmm, with our recent Ronald Coase discussions, can a feature be a company more easily these days?)