“When you choose technology, you have to ignore what other people are doing, and consider only what will work the best.”

“…server-based applications magnify the effect of rapid development, because you can release software the minute it’s done.”

“In business, there is nothing more valuable than a technical advantage your competitors don’t understand. In business, as in war, surprise is worth as much as force.”

“Ordinarily technology changes fast. But programming languages are different: programming languages are not just technology, but what programmers think in. They’re half technology and half religion.[6] And so the median language, meaning whatever language the median programmer uses, moves as slow as an iceberg.”

“If you ever do find yourself working for a startup, here’s a handy tip for evaluating competitors. Read their job listings. Everything else on their site may be stock photos or the prose equivalent, but the job listings have to be specific about what they want, or they’ll get the wrong candidates.”

http://www.paulgraham.com/avg.html