Interesting Adena - not sure if this is what you were trying to say, but my take-away from this is that
a) it's astonishing how hungry the world is for mapping, even simple maps
b) part of the buzz around "web2.0" is the whole user-generated content concept and for simple things like adding dots to a map, you can engage people easily and quickly (side note: I'm yet to be convinced that user-generated content for true GIS data makes sense)
c) and lastly (this might be controversial), business models that start out flimsy (essentially no business plan) often graft on a more valid business plan after they get lucky; I'm not dissing Platial here, but commenting on how sheer dumb luck is more likely to be responsible for a start-up's success than a superior product or business model.