Perhaps what he means is that the "ecosystem" is a pretty level playing field right now. Since 37 signals conspicuously does not do rails development, service or support, anyone can jump in and play in that space.
I wonder what's the percentage of code that 37signals produces that goes into Rails itself, and how does it compare to their actual applications. I bet it's something like 9 to 1.
Don't get me wrong, I love Rails and thank you, 37signals, But let's not distort the reality: Rails is their biggest cash cow they are milking, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
How can it be a cash cow when there is no direct revenue from it? Rails is fantastic advertising for their company but it's their products that make them money. Rails just brings awareness.
