Every start-up dreams of having the billion-dollar troughs of Uber, industry-disrupting business model of Airbnb or brand recognition of Snapchat. Reality check: The vast majority of tech start-ups are far from achieving the status or financial backing of these high-profile companies. Instead, these firms have to work harder to make sure their product or service makes it to market, whether they go solo or with a corporate partner. But successfully shifting from a beta version to the marketplace needs thoughtful planning and — surprisingly — perhaps a strategic detour as well.
