[erikpukinskis]

There are two ways you create value for your employer:

1) creating value for their customers

2) maintaining the moat that prevents other people from creating value for their customers

The former is constructive, the latter is destructive. They both contribute revenue.

I haven’t done a full scale analysis of Microsoft, but the argument I would entertain is that Microsoft primarily sells tools for companies and individuals to built moats around themselves.

[manigandham]

#2 doesn't work unless you can also provide that value, so it is still constructive. You cant keep customers from using something if you have no such offering yourself to compete with.

[erikpukinskis]

Sure you can, why not? They will just work around deficiencies in your product as long as switching is even more painful.