Hopefully, but how quickly up? IPO Dashboards put together a visualization of their top 100 public software companies and what kind of a success they were. Were they a “Rocket Ship,” “Hot Company,” or “Slow Burner?” How long does it take to build a technology empire?

Some of the conclusions are interesting.  For example, 50% of the companies analyzed took over 9 years to reach $50m in revenue, far from the hockey stick so many like to pitch.  Only 28% did it in less than 6 years.  So, if you’re building the next Adobe, Microsoft, Oracle or Salesforce, do you have the right time frame in mind?

Who knew Novell was such the hit?  $50m in 3 years.  Yow.