A software startup had a wide-ranging, enterprise software solution. Although a great product, it was very expensive and difficult to implement with a need to dovetail into multiple databases. The competitive landscape includes a few weaker but well-established and well-funded products with a substantial client base. All of these factors made adoption a huge hurdle.

 

YoungThinking proposed a Trojan Horse Strategy. First, the company could break the enterprise solution into component parts. These components could be marketed and sold as independent applications to solve specific problems the competition either ignored or executed poorly.

 

Once the relationship is established and confidence built, the software company can up-sell the customers on additional components until they own the entire enterprise solution.

 

This strategy allows the software company to get some early wins and establish credibility. It reduces risks for prospects. And it lowers the cost of market entry which reduced the pressure to find a deep-pocketed venture capital investor.

 

Within months of adopting the Trojan Horse Strategy, prospective early-adopters are already interested in piloting some components.