[jorgeortiz85]

There's a useful distinction between companies that sell technology and companies that use tech for competitive advantage.

However, language is defined by how we use it. In common parlance, "tech company" means the latter kind of company. Normatively decreeing otherwise is futile.

Should we talk more about the former kind? Yes. But I disagree that the latter kind is not a useful category. Distinguishing between "factory companies" and "non-factory companies" was probably very useful at the beginning of the industrial revolution. We're still in the early days of the information revolution.

By "software is eating the world", we don't mean that every company uses email or has a blog. That's not software that gives a competitive advantage, precisely because everyone already has it. "Software is eating the world" means that Uber is a better taxi dispatch service than traditional taxi dispatch services, because of software they developed. It means Netflix is a better movie rental service than Blockbuster, because of software they developed. It means Apple and Google upended every mobile phone manufacturer and carrier, because they could develop better operating systems and browsers.

"Software is eating the world" does NOT mean that every company uses software (duh), but rather that companies with software competency (or even excellence) will have a significant advantage with which to edge out their competitors.