Larger companies often have great difficulty innovating at the product and service level. Often innovation in large companies is solely concerned with business process innovation, i.e., freeing up their rigid hierarchies to better manage their existing business processes. When it comes to new exciting products and services small companies are the engines of innovation in most industries.

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Quick and nimble, small companies can risk it all - given that they have so little to lose. They are fueled by passion and caffeine, often to oblivion. However, a lucky few hit upon a a gem of an idea and live happily ever...well actually the leading lights are often gobbled up by...you guessed it - a large company. Still it frees the founders to move on and resume the large-fish-eats-small-fish-cycle all over again. I hear it's addictive - just ask Michael Payne of the CAD world - he's on his 3rd major CAD company startup - PTC, SolidWorks, and now SpaceClaim.