Spoon is trying to make desktop applications available to users no matter where they are -- without installations or downloads. The 25-person company recently changed its name from Xenocode to Spoon, and launched a new service that streams applications directly from the Web. Founder and CEO Kenji Obata, a former Microsoft employee, discusses what makes his company tick in the latest installment of Startup of the Week.

What’s your elevator pitch — in 140 characters or less, please... Spoon launches desktop apps from the Web without installs.

We came up with the idea for the startup... While studying math at Berkeley.

The word that best describes our company culture is... Intellectual.

We are different from the competition because... We enable distribution of desktop apps via the Web with zero install.

Kenji Obata

The biggest challenge we face is... Getting people to believe Spoon isn’t too good to be true. (Literally, people think it can’t be real.)

We’ve raised... Nothing – we’ve been profitable since year one.

If we had $3 million, we’d invest in... Continue to focus on making the world’s apps available instantly on any desktop.

The oddest thing about our company is... That our product name isn’t a made-up word.

The one thing missing from our business is... Even more outstanding people. We have an amazing team and are looking for engineers, sales, and support pros to join our team – send us your resumes!

We won’t fail because... We have a fantastic, unique product that improves the life of anyone who needs to use or distribute an app.

Editor's note: Have an interesting Seattle area startup that you'd like featured on TechFlash? Answer the 10 questions above with some flair and personality and submit them, along with a headshot, to johncook@bizjournals.com. Please, only founders of Seattle area startup companies should apply.