> Then one of the big players comes in and adds the feature to their main product. Poof, everything somebody worked long and hard for disappears.
It depends a lot on how you market yourself.
Basecamp is a good - admittedly cliche, though - example. Now they have Hey. It's an email client for $100/yr. And they continue to make millions, despite sharing the market with giants.
The reason people use their services is not only because of the features. They also build a relationship.
One doesn't stay married because there's no other potential partner around with better features. It's because there's a deeper relationship, a bond. Might be stretching now? Perhaps...
It depends a lot on how you market yourself.
Basecamp is a good - admittedly cliche, though - example. Now they have Hey. It's an email client for $100/yr. And they continue to make millions, despite sharing the market with giants.
The reason people use their services is not only because of the features. They also build a relationship.
One doesn't stay married because there's no other potential partner around with better features. It's because there's a deeper relationship, a bond. Might be stretching now? Perhaps...