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No company is your friend, they just want your money.

danieldk 7y ago
There are a lot of mom and pop shops, which just do what is their passion and they want their customers to be happy. Money is just a means to support themselves. E.g. I frequented a lot of local record shops and it was clear that their owners did not want to get rich. They would talk to you for 15-30 minutes about bands and new releases, even if you just bought one record with a < 1 Euro profit margin. They just loved music and they enjoyed customers that loved music. No profit-driven company is your friend. When it's about profit, money becomes the end.
- gremlinsinc 7y ago
  How many of these mom and pop shops are 'venture-funded'? that's the point I think he's making. Venture funding and selling out takes all the passion out of the business and makes it into a greedy Mr. Burn's style enterprise. Edit: Let me add -- just look at what happened w/ WhatsApp. The guys who sold it to Zuck n co, regret it fully but can't take it back. They know they sold their souls to satan, and at least now they're outspoken against the turn Whatsapp took, though a bit late and a few pay-days past.
_Understated_ 7y ago
I see where you are coming from but there's a scale-aspect to this. These entities aren't traditional companies, like your local newsagent or plumber or whatever. They've reached a level that they can influence governments and can control entire populations (to a degree). They have immense power and can effectively wield it as they please to further their own ends. They are related to small local companies only as they have to file a tax return... that's about it!
yitchelle 7y ago
In reality, no providers of service or product that you depend on are your friend. Extend these ideals to food providers, medical services, etc...Agreed that the choices of providers are little bit wider, but still the ideals are the same.
crb912 7y ago
No permanent friends, only permanent interests.
_ph_ 7y ago
Of course no company is a friend. But there are businesses, who take their customer serious and more importantly, act with integrity, and treat you accordingly.

There are a lot of mom and pop shops, which just do what is their passion and they want their customers to be happy. Money is just a means to support themselves. E.g. I frequented a lot of local record shops and it was clear that their owners did not want to get rich. They would talk to you for 15-30 minutes about bands and new releases, even if you just bought one record with a < 1 Euro profit margin. They just loved music and they enjoyed customers that loved music. No profit-driven company is your friend. When it's about profit, money becomes the end.

gremlinsinc 7y ago
How many of these mom and pop shops are 'venture-funded'? that's the point I think he's making. Venture funding and selling out takes all the passion out of the business and makes it into a greedy Mr. Burn's style enterprise. Edit: Let me add -- just look at what happened w/ WhatsApp. The guys who sold it to Zuck n co, regret it fully but can't take it back. They know they sold their souls to satan, and at least now they're outspoken against the turn Whatsapp took, though a bit late and a few pay-days past.

_Understated_ 7y ago

I see where you are coming from but there's a scale-aspect to this. These entities aren't traditional companies, like your local newsagent or plumber or whatever. They've reached a level that they can influence governments and can control entire populations (to a degree). They have immense power and can effectively wield it as they please to further their own ends. They are related to small local companies only as they have to file a tax return... that's about it!

yitchelle 7y ago

In reality, no providers of service or product that you depend on are your friend. Extend these ideals to food providers, medical services, etc...Agreed that the choices of providers are little bit wider, but still the ideals are the same.

crb912 7y ago

No permanent friends, only permanent interests.

_ph_ 7y ago

Of course no company is a friend. But there are businesses, who take their customer serious and more importantly, act with integrity, and treat you accordingly.