"[H]e said he has switched his primary focus to business software and services." As would I, if I spent 23 years at IBM and a dozen or so years as a VP at Microsoft. You have nearly four decades of experience in the field, why give that up?
This is a late-adopting, retail-driven market and you will be competing with companies that have serious marketing budgets and established relationships throughout the distribution channel.
Note: I have never worked in a startup.