Comment by sah2ed

The problem with this argument is that it is a gross simplification of reality.

Terms like "market", "nearby market", "niche" etc are all abstractions the same way a map is an abstraction of an actual territory. They help us reason clearly but they should not be used as a substitute for the real thing ala "the map is not the territory".

A "desert of profitability" is essentially a battle tactic -- a tactic where you delay the use of your moat (fortress, trench etc) by igniting trouble elsewhere, usually in neighboring lands that enemies must traverse before the war reaches your own land.

IOW, it is a tactic used in conjunction with other tactics, it is not a strategy; all it does is buy you time. Eventually, the technology landscape will shift and such economic moats, no matter how deep, will lose their relevance.