Genius PR move. From @Posterous to @Twitpic…
“Hey @noaheverett: if you’d like to discuss data portability, please email me. sachin@posterous.com. Lawyers are expensive. We can be friends”
Need some input, what exactly constitutes a tech company these days? Is Groupon a tech company?
A lot of businesses these days are claiming to be “tech companies”. I’m guilty of it too. I routinely position StorageByMail as a technology company when it suits me. And I can make a very compelling case when I describe how StorageByMail is the technology layer that connects consumers, delivery companies and operators of major fulfillment centers to deliver a superior storage experience. But are we really a tech company? Put another way, when we’re a big public company would you say we’re more likely to be compared with Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) or with Salesforce (NYSE:CRM)? My guess would be the former.
I find it strange when I read articles in the media about Groupon. Reporters all describe Groupon as a tech company. And the supposed tech blogs seem to agree that Groupon is a tech company judging by the quantity of articles. I suppose to some extent if Google attempts to buy your company that automatically qualifies you as a tech company.
The point of this post is not to say who is a tech company and who is not. I don’t know the answer to that question. And at the end of the day it probably doesn’t matter as long as companies are creating value and delivering on their plan. But in the interest of satisfying my curiosity I thought I’d write this post to see what others think.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Is Groupon a tech company? What about StorageByMail? Of all the companies covered on TechCrunch, what percentage would you say are truly tech companies?
