Focus and Scale on the Internet

During the early days of the Internet, popular wisdom highlighted the power of the new “virtual” business model that could reach a mass market without the bricks-and-mortar constraints of the “old economy.” Venture capitalists threw money at the lucky start-ups and encouraged them to get big fast before competitors could gain a foothold.  Operating strategies were all about “scalability.” Although that model worked fine for a few companies, like Amazon and eBay, it proved a dead end for most.  Today, a simplistic approach built around mass markets and scalability is a near-certain recipe for.....