The exact flavor isn't important. What is important is that he identified an unserved, high-potential, market and put together what was basically a minimum viable product. I'm sure it needed massive refinement, but that shortcoming is a normal piece of any product development.
Also, it sounds like his presentation skills provided management with a spokesperson/avatar/salesman for the project, possibly making it the right time to move forward with some ideas they already had but didn't have the right person for.
