The Trap of 'Feeding the Dragon': Building Your Own Tech Empire
In today’s digital economy, many businesses unknowingly spend their energy “feeding the dragon” — building products and services that primarily benefit tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple. While collaboration with major platforms can be powerful, lasting success lies in shaping your own destiny, not fueling someone else’s.
The Big Tech Conundrum
Big tech offers irresistible opportunities: massive user bases, scalable tools, and global reach. Yet these advantages come with trade-offs — dependency, revenue loss, and limited access to your own customers.
When you play in their ecosystem, you play by their rules. The key is balance: use their platforms strategically, but don’t let them define your business model. Understand how to make them work for you, not the other way around.
Your Strategy Over Their Fads
The tech world moves fast — but chasing trends is a race with no finish line. Instead of jumping on every new framework, platform, or AI model, focus on what genuinely serves your customers and your long-term vision.
Be strategic:
Do your homework. Research your market, understand customer pain points, and evaluate your product’s sustainability.
Listen to your people. Your customers and staff hold critical insight into what works and what doesn’t.
Stay curious, not reactive. Explore emerging technologies with discernment. Innovation should support your goals, not distract from them.
Real success comes from disciplined focus — solving real problems, not building features that make someone else’s platform stronger.
Making Your Own Choices
Advisors, analysts, and vendors often have their own agendas. Be polite — but stay independent. Not every “partnership” is in your best interest, and not every glowing industry ranking reflects your business reality.
To build a sustainable, self-reliant enterprise:
Own your customer relationships. Don’t let platforms stand between you and your users.
Control your revenue streams. Avoid models that give away large percentages of your income.
Build your own IP. Develop solutions that reflect your innovation — not someone else’s roadmap.
True leadership is about building your own engine, not being the biggest cog in another machine. Think strategically, act independently, and create a business that stands on its own strength.
