Ask HN: Which companies gained a competitive edge purely via engineering?

#1

Post by j1000 » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 2:21 PM UTC

For example: WhatsApp or Crash Bandicoot (1996)?

Re: Ask HN: Which companies gained a competitive edge purely via engineering?

#2

Post by mrhottakes » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 2:44 PM UTC

A long long time ago: Oracle

#3

Post by yepyoukno » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 2:47 PM UTC

mrhottakes wrote: post #2

A long long time ago: Oracle

Uh, wut?

Try “Sun Microsystems”!

#4

Post by mrhottakes » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 2:57 PM UTC

yepyoukno wrote: post #3

mrhottakes wrote: post #2

A long long time ago: Oracle

Uh, wut? Try “Sun Microsystems”!

That is another company that built an advantage with engineering, true.

#5

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 3:21 PM UTC

[deleted]

#6

Post by bitbasher » Mon, Jun 08, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC

Bell Labs

#7

Post by AnimalMuppet » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 3:28 AM UTC

SGI.

Hewlett Packard.

DEC.

#8

Post by farseer » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 12:10 PM UTC

Google search was way better than yahoo or altavista

#9

Post by dennisjoseph » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 5:14 PM UTC

Garmin

#10

Post by aristofun » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 1:42 PM UTC

Whatsapp, really?