SportsDo are a good example of a start-up that have been smart about using Microsoft’s marketing muscle.  They’ve got a cool solution that uses Microsoft technology and they’ve networked well with the right people at Microsoft UK to build relationships.  They keynoted at Mix UK last year and demo’d their app and then last week have been featured in a Microsoft video on Software + Services. Check out all the other examples of start-ups that have used Microsoft.

So they’ve used the marketing muscle of Microsoft and also the technology too.  Steve points out why not many start-ups use Microsoft technology in their products and services.  One reason is that Microsoft doesn’t do start-ups; he presents follwing reasons of guys who had built their web applications using Ruby and ran on Sun.

1. Familiarity with using Sun and editors like vi at University meant that’s what they wanted to use the same stuff in business
2. Their experience with Windows on the desktop had clouded their view of it’s ability in the datacenter
3. They really didn’t think Microsoft played in the start-up arena and didn’t have much to offer

Source:→ Microsoft