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While it requires having a service worth staying on once you're familiarized to be successful, paying users is a valid strategy when a network effect is importa
by alehul 8y ago
While it requires having a service worth staying on once you're familiarized to be successful, paying users is a valid strategy when a network effect is important.
PayPal, as an example, is the result of a merger between Confinity (Thiel's) and X (Musk's) competing services. While I believe Confinity had started earlier, X caught up through literally giving people $20 towards eBay purchases if they sign up.
- zajd 8y agoAhh yes, price dumping, one of the big forces behind "disruption" see: Uber, Lyft, any number of startups growing by losing money, and one of the main anti-competitive forces the government has no desire in addressing. Don't have billions in investor money to lose? You can't play. edit. bring on the downvotes bootlickers, "valid strategy" my ass
- schoen 8y agoHi zajd, I want to upvote your comment but I don't think I can do that while it calls HN downvoters "bootlickers". Would you consider removing that part?
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- int0x80 8y agoDo you think he's going to sell his ideas for an upvote?
- schoen 8y agoI thought the big "idea" part of the comment was that investors are distorting markets with huge subsidies. Another idea is that parts of the HN community itself have a disturbing relationship with this practice. But someone can still get those ideas across without calling downvoters "bootlickers"!