The Stanford Startup and the MIT Startup

Technology is not a prerequisite for business success, but marketing is. The argument compares two hypothetical ammonia startups: an MIT-style company with a unique chemical process and no sales yet, and a Stanford-style company selling branded cleaners and fertilizer by monthly subscription, with thousands of monthly customers. The text values the Stanford-style company at about $10M today based on traction, while the MIT-style company could become a $100B company but is far more speculative.