This so-called "Stanford model" looks more likely something about old companies. I think for most older generation of people, for whom "marketing" is really what's it's all about(most of the executives in old companies back in the 70s 80s were promoted from marketing I believe), that is their view of "starting a new business". However, they didn't innovate, not exactly because they didn't want to, but because they didn't know how to, in an already stagnant field. This is why I don't really believe this is the case for today's tech-oriented companies. In Peter Thiel's terms(I don't really like him, just using a reference here) this would not even be a "startup" at all(0 to 1). I mean, I don't believe there exist more tech startups which make themselves big by just extensively marketing existing technologies, than those which lead the innovation of new ones. Correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know a lot about these things anyways.