Hi Denis,

Just some thoughts...

1) The other guys don't *have* anything yet and you do. They *may* be trying to hold onto "their" turf (any outsider opens the door for more to come in) by telling customers that they have something on the way too (even if they haven't yet).

2) You know how your product works *for the user* and, more important, you have some idea of what the users (that you already have) feel about your product. *IF* they speak highly of it then that's good, but if there is little enthusiasm about it you should think harder.

3) If they are "big boys" then they no doubt have lots of staff. There is an excellent chance that they will *not* deliver nearly as quickly as they may be suggesting *and* there is an equally good chance that what they deliver will be less than great (when you have so many cooks the meal can come out funny).

It is possible that the competition is also just feeling out the potential market for such a product. You think (even know, to a certain extent) there is one, but one that's big enough for you *may* be too small still for them.

Finally, they may have in mind - *IF* the market looks reasonable to them - to come and get you/buy you out.

This is touchy, no doubt, and you are FAR more aware of the full story than I can be, but it would be my position at this time to sit tight and say NOTHING to the competition, waiting to see if they come to me.

good luck with it

JimN

>I've been developping an application over the last year for a vertical market. I'm not done with it yet but at this stage it's already used by some companies.
>
>Now here's the catch. A big company that has already develop solutions for that same vertical market is going to develop an application very similar to the one I've been working on.
>
>Now how much should I panic here? Keep in mind that I'm a one man band and that this competitor company has a lot more resources than I.
>
>What should be my next move? Approach that competitor to show them what I did so far hoping that they will make me an interesting offer. Offer that could be to get me to join them or get me to sell them what I did? Should I offer them my services because of all the things that I know so far about that solution?
>
>Do you have suggestions on things to do so I won't be left with nothing in the long run? Is there a site that could give me more help on that? Is there a book that I could get?