Big Tech vs Little Tech
Sophia Matveeva
CEO | Founder | Board Member | Strategic Advisor | Digital Transformation | Innovation | Technology | Keynote Speaker | Podcaster | Education | Learning Development
When you think of the tech sector, what comes to mind? For most people, it will be Meta, Google, and other Big Tech frenemies.
But that doesn't tell the whole story.
There's a whole world of Little Tech companies that operate very differently. These aren't just "everyone who isn't Big Tech."?
These companies are characterised by their innovator's mindset - they build new solutions rather than maintaining market positions. They focus on solving specific problems with innovative approaches, whether they're venture-backed or bootstrapped, private or public.
Little Tech includes companies like Notion, Figma (before its Adobe acquisition), and Snowflake in its early days. It also includes start-ups at a much earlier stage.?
While these companies operate in the same sector as Big Tech, they play by very different rules.
What's good for Big Tech can be disastrous for Little Tech, and vice versa.?
This divide was crystal clear in the reaction to DeepSeek's release.
Little Tech was overjoyed! DeepSeek is 44 times cheaper to run than ChatGPT and its open source model means Little Tech innovators can use the code to make their own unique solutions.?
Big Tech was aghast as they saw their expensive AI moats get eroded.
The Big Tech vs Little Tech distinction matters because lessons from one world often fail in the other.
For example: Big Tech's "build everything in-house" mindset can be devastating for startups. Startups should not waste precious months building custom CRM systems instead of using Salesforce.
Conversely, Little Tech's "move fast and break things" mentality can be catastrophic in Big Tech.?
While Revolut could launch features quickly in their early days, JP Morgan needs extensive compliance reviews before any product change due to their systemic importance and regulatory oversight.
Understanding these differences isn't just academic - it's essential for anyone working with the tech sector today.?
Your success, whether in a startup or corporate environment, depends on knowing which playbook to use and when.
Listen to the latest Tech for Non-Techies podcast episode to learn:
?? Listen to the full episode here:
What's your experience with Big Tech vs Little Tech differences? Share in the comments below.
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Sophia Matveeva