Tech & ToolingEmerging Pattern

Avoid betting on declining technology platforms even if they're currently dominant

Q: How many founders have validated "avoid betting on declining technology platforms even if they're currently dominant"?

1 founder has proven this pattern works. Examples include Stewart Butterfield (Glitch).

Technology platforms that are losing momentum create compounding problems: slower development velocity, inability to reach growing channels (like mobile), and accumulated technical debt. Every day of slow feature development costs you users you can't win back.

When to use

When choosing technology stack for a new product or evaluating whether to rebuild on modern platforms

Don't do this

Choosing technology based on current market share or existing team expertise without considering platform trajectory and ecosystem health.

1 Founder Who Did This

Glitchby Stewart Butterfield

Bet heavily on Adobe Flash, which was becoming dated and poorly adapted to mobile - the direction most online games were going

Result:Created production problems - took too long to develop and introduce fun features. Every day the core gameplay loops weren't fun enough, the game lost players. Sustainable growth became impossible.

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