Most companies can be categorized as sales, technology, or market-driven.

Characteristics of a Sales-Driven Organization:

• Sales opportunities defines product evolution
• Short-term planners
• Very broad business definition
• Try to seize all opportunities
• Try to find new markets for existing products
• Mediocre at many things
• Want a sale

Unfortunately, sales-driven organizations follow a growth curve that typically leads to implosion caused by cash flow issues.

Characteristics of a Technology-Driven Organization

• Technology innovations define product evolution
• Long term technical planning independent of customer and market intelligence
• Technology leadership a core corporate value
• Desire technical leadership

Most technically-driven organizations eventually disappear into obscurity. Some, although few, profit from licensing of proprietary technologies/patents to third parties.

Characteristics of a Market-Driven Organization:

• Market intelligence defines product evolution
• Long-term planners
• Customer requests are balanced with market analysis
• Have a well defined business definition
• Create their own future by seeking consistent opportunities
• Ignore inconsistent opportunities
• Target market segments precisely, or stay out
• Do a few things exceedingly well
• Want growth

Market-driven organizations become market leaders and acquisition targets, creating maximum value for founders, shareholders, and customers.