5 ms·

Why can't a chat platform be a product? Chat has only been free when run by volunteers or funded directly or indirectly by ad revenue or bundling with another s

Why can't a chat platform be a product? Chat has only been free when run by volunteers or funded directly or indirectly by ad revenue or bundling with another service. Slack is not MSN messenger, it's an team communication package for companies in the same way that, for example, Zoom is, though the two have different primary focuses.

raesene9 6y ago
IMO it's too easy for competitors to create a similar level of functionality for it to be a standalone product. If Slack charges too much, there's a host of free alternatives that can be used, meaning they have limited ability to increase prices. Compare that to office suites. There's not that many options here and it's pretty difficult to build something that would have the functionality that enterprises think they want/need and compete with incumbants like MS. The main free alternative (libreoffice) has had recent struggles with funding, due to the level of work needed to maintain and improve their offering
scoutt 6y ago
> Why can't a chat platform be a product? It can be a product, but I guess it will have the same fate as Web Browsers. Who buys a browser product nowadays? Web-browsing is a feature. > team communication package A.k.a chat program.
- rgrs 6y ago
  Browsers were bundled free so that the company behind majority user share could later control the web standards.
xnx 6y ago
Slack doesn't need to be free, but it's overpriced for the value it's offering. Same story with Zoom.
- rburhum 6y ago
  And yet they both have tons of customers and increasing revenues... they must be doing something right, no?
  - kkotak 6y ago
    You can fool some of the people for some time.
  - scaryclam 6y ago
    Customers are fickle and it wouldn't take much for them to start moving to another chat solution. Case in point - we use slack at work, but when we need a call we'll typically use discord instead, as slack is horrible for calls (blurry text when screen sharing, often doesn't always let everyone on the call, etc). If everyone in the company started using discord for text chat as well, there would be very little reason to stay on slack and keep paying, as it wouldn't be worth it. Slack don't have something like office 360 to keep companies interested if chat fails to deliver, so all of those customers could evaporate pretty quickly.
- nthj 6y ago
  Zoom always just works. My employer has cycled through a half dozen video chat conferencing tools and had to keep going back to Zoom because they absolutely nail the audio and networking code. Worth every single penny.

raesene9 6y ago

IMO it's too easy for competitors to create a similar level of functionality for it to be a standalone product. If Slack charges too much, there's a host of free alternatives that can be used, meaning they have limited ability to increase prices. Compare that to office suites. There's not that many options here and it's pretty difficult to build something that would have the functionality that enterprises think they want/need and compete with incumbants like MS. The main free alternative (libreoffice) has had recent struggles with funding, due to the level of work needed to maintain and improve their offering

scoutt 6y ago

> Why can't a chat platform be a product? It can be a product, but I guess it will have the same fate as Web Browsers. Who buys a browser product nowadays? Web-browsing is a feature. > team communication package A.k.a chat program.

rgrs 6y ago
Browsers were bundled free so that the company behind majority user share could later control the web standards.

xnx 6y ago

Slack doesn't need to be free, but it's overpriced for the value it's offering. Same story with Zoom.

rburhum 6y ago
And yet they both have tons of customers and increasing revenues... they must be doing something right, no?
- kkotak 6y ago
  You can fool some of the people for some time.
- scaryclam 6y ago
  Customers are fickle and it wouldn't take much for them to start moving to another chat solution. Case in point - we use slack at work, but when we need a call we'll typically use discord instead, as slack is horrible for calls (blurry text when screen sharing, often doesn't always let everyone on the call, etc). If everyone in the company started using discord for text chat as well, there would be very little reason to stay on slack and keep paying, as it wouldn't be worth it. Slack don't have something like office 360 to keep companies interested if chat fails to deliver, so all of those customers could evaporate pretty quickly.
nthj 6y ago
Zoom always just works. My employer has cycled through a half dozen video chat conferencing tools and had to keep going back to Zoom because they absolutely nail the audio and networking code. Worth every single penny.