Sven wrote:

Having an active community where many people participate in making Pharo better all the time is the best reference.

While that is a necessity, it is only relevant for a certain public (technically advanced, developer oriented, long term view). It is not necessarily something other potential customers value. I'm currently doing a data conversion project. Everything outside a timespan of the next 6 months is simply irrelevant. Startups with a lack of deep technological knowledge also cannot tell the difference between a very large but clueless community and a small, but active and knowledgable.

It is also important that success stories, even small ones, are shared.

Very much so. And (also) in a form that less technical people can understand.

But I guess that half the people on these lists are available for remotely delivered services in one form or another ;-)

That seems like a correct observation. On the other hand these mailing lists function as a filter and are not a good way to match demand and supply. The problem is in explaining where Pharo/Seaside can provide a good solution in business terms.

Although it is important that the community keeps on growing, we reached critical mass a long time ago, IMHO.

For innovators yes. For early adopters, no. They value different things. Stephan