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>Please go back to being a folder that syncs A simple, effective utility can't support a multi-billion valuation. Where else will the VC Ponzi dollars go?

bluedino 7y ago
Isn't the problem that most Dropbox users just won't pay for it?
- jvagner 7y ago
  I've paid for Dropbox for years, but recently cancelled, because I'm uncertain of the direction they're heading in. It's like Evernote of yore.. in fact, I sarcastically think Evernote and Dropbox should merge so I can simplify what I nostalgically ignore to just one entity. That said, I get Google Drive File Stream with my G Suite company account, and I get Microsoft OneDrive with my Office 365 subscription, and I get 2TB in iCloud with my iCloud subscription. This supports the "feature" idea. I wasn't thinking about dropping Dropbox until this latest round of product news.
- iamnotacrook 7y ago
  I would have paid for something which worked properly on linux but back when I tried it it didn't. Now I just use google drive or gitlab depending on whether or not I care if anyone else can see it. It's not really worth a lot of my time, money or effort. I'm pretty sure that for many people just doing the same (giving people access by sending them a link via whatsapp/email) is enough.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  From the money they burned on Paper, multiple UI changes and that disastrous site redesign of a year or two ago, they'd probably be able to cover the cost of most of users on free plan. Storage isn't that expensive. Still, I pay. I get increasingly bad service. The only reason I didn't switch yet is that all competitors are strictly worse, and I'm too lazy to set up Syncthing.
- wyclif 7y ago
  The problem isn't that Dropbox users won't pay, clearly they will. Or at least they would when it was simply a useful utility. The problem is that cloud storage is a commodity now, and Dropbox has to meet investor expectations which has been the death of many a perfectly good app.
- apple4ever 7y ago
  Which is Dropbox’s fault with their terrible pricing. The next level up is super expensive. Instead of making it a good value and easy they did the opposite.
technofiend 7y ago
>A simple, effective utility can't support a multi-billion valuation. This is the real issue: everyone wants to be a unicorn and no one wants to be a utility.
- UncleMeat 7y ago
  Well duh.
  - technofiend 7y ago
    Right? I feel like you could build a million karma quoting the original poster and saying "Well, duh" on Reddit. Probably lots of bots doing it already.
- jbob2000 7y ago
  Which is funny because, if you ask any investor who's been around a few decades, they'll say utilities are the best investment because it's the last thing any person would cut from their budget. (ie. I'd cut my cable subscription before I'd cut my water or power)
- wyclif 7y ago
  That is the real issue, but the symptom of it for Dropbox is that in order for the economics to scale, they have to break out of the commodity space. And cloud storage is now a commodity. That's why they're now willing to risk ruining what used to be a perfectly good app. Somewhere, Steve Jobs is smiling.

bluedino 7y ago

Isn't the problem that most Dropbox users just won't pay for it?

jvagner 7y ago
I've paid for Dropbox for years, but recently cancelled, because I'm uncertain of the direction they're heading in. It's like Evernote of yore.. in fact, I sarcastically think Evernote and Dropbox should merge so I can simplify what I nostalgically ignore to just one entity. That said, I get Google Drive File Stream with my G Suite company account, and I get Microsoft OneDrive with my Office 365 subscription, and I get 2TB in iCloud with my iCloud subscription. This supports the "feature" idea. I wasn't thinking about dropping Dropbox until this latest round of product news.
iamnotacrook 7y ago
I would have paid for something which worked properly on linux but back when I tried it it didn't. Now I just use google drive or gitlab depending on whether or not I care if anyone else can see it. It's not really worth a lot of my time, money or effort. I'm pretty sure that for many people just doing the same (giving people access by sending them a link via whatsapp/email) is enough.
TeMPOraL 7y ago
From the money they burned on Paper, multiple UI changes and that disastrous site redesign of a year or two ago, they'd probably be able to cover the cost of most of users on free plan. Storage isn't that expensive. Still, I pay. I get increasingly bad service. The only reason I didn't switch yet is that all competitors are strictly worse, and I'm too lazy to set up Syncthing.
wyclif 7y ago
The problem isn't that Dropbox users won't pay, clearly they will. Or at least they would when it was simply a useful utility. The problem is that cloud storage is a commodity now, and Dropbox has to meet investor expectations which has been the death of many a perfectly good app.
apple4ever 7y ago
Which is Dropbox’s fault with their terrible pricing. The next level up is super expensive. Instead of making it a good value and easy they did the opposite.

technofiend 7y ago

>A simple, effective utility can't support a multi-billion valuation. This is the real issue: everyone wants to be a unicorn and no one wants to be a utility.

UncleMeat 7y ago
Well duh.
- technofiend 7y ago
  Right? I feel like you could build a million karma quoting the original poster and saying "Well, duh" on Reddit. Probably lots of bots doing it already.
jbob2000 7y ago
Which is funny because, if you ask any investor who's been around a few decades, they'll say utilities are the best investment because it's the last thing any person would cut from their budget. (ie. I'd cut my cable subscription before I'd cut my water or power)
wyclif 7y ago
That is the real issue, but the symptom of it for Dropbox is that in order for the economics to scale, they have to break out of the commodity space. And cloud storage is now a commodity. That's why they're now willing to risk ruining what used to be a perfectly good app. Somewhere, Steve Jobs is smiling.