All very true. This is why I find that companies tend to do best buying from companies of relatively similar size. GM and GE struggle with buying from startups for these reasons. The pace of change is too much. But they will buy from the startup after IBM has bought them. Startups are better off finding more nimble initial customers. Crossing the Chasm [1] is the best resource I've found on describing the challenges of startups servicing large companies.
The exception to this is parts of the company that are either specifically geared towards hunting new technologies, or subsidiaries/departments with lots of autonomy and shorter timeframes. Basically folks who are tasked with experimenting and moving on. Even then, it's a better fit with services (boutique ad agencies and investment banks supporting large firms) than products with lock-in.
The exception to this is parts of the company that are either specifically geared towards hunting new technologies, or subsidiaries/departments with lots of autonomy and shorter timeframes. Basically folks who are tasked with experimenting and moving on. Even then, it's a better fit with services (boutique ad agencies and investment banks supporting large firms) than products with lock-in.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Chasm