A close second is being the first out with a new feature set. If we use film as the model, it's the interchange standard that creates the environment for success. The film size and process are standardized. Film and camera vendors and photofinishers can differentiate their products and services. Both the industry and the consumer win.
Professionals can spend thousands on equipment.
Minilabs can spend thousands of dollars for equipment while wholesale photofinishers can invest millions. This creates a huge business opportunity for all involved in the business. A consumer can buy a roll of film while on vacation in Europe, take pictures using a camera made in China, have the film processed in California and share images with a friend in Australia by sending a print. They can do all without having to worry about software drivers, ac adapters, exchange rates, language barriers, cables, computer platforms, BinHex vs. Base64 encoding, JPEG vs. FlashPix, etc. The success of the Sony Digital Mavica is a testament to the demand for interchange standards, albeit one with severe capacity limitations, namely a 1.4-Mbyte floppy disk.