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The content wasn’t the problem, IMO. The platform was the main issue. Some of the content on there like “Most Dangerous Game” were things I was interested in wa

The content wasn’t the problem, IMO. The platform was the main issue. Some of the content on there like “Most Dangerous Game” were things I was interested in watching, just not in ten minute chunks on my phone.

sjg007 6y ago
The mistake Quibi made was charging for content. The idea otherwise is solid.
- Jochim 6y ago
  It seems like a pretty terrible idea. They tried to cram traditional formats into 10 minute blocks, there are two major problems that seem immediately obvious with this: 1. The content they produced is way too long to for the time period they're trying to occupy. You might spend 10 minutes ordering a coffee but that 10 minutes will be split into at least three segments whose length is arbitrary each time. This wouldn't matter so much if point two didn't exist 2. They created the type of content that needs to be paid attention to from start to end. They typically tried to take long form video content and squeeze it into a 10 minute format. This makes it entirely unsuitable when compared to the types of content people actually consume during the periods targetted. If you look at what people do during these time periods at the moment, you'll see that they're all very resilient to interruption by being unaffected by a lack of constant attention (scrolling twitter/facebook), having each piece of content be short enough that you'll likely be starting/finishing one when interrupted (tiktok), or by being a background task that doesn't demand constant attention (music/podcasts). The core idea behind Quibi seems to fail on all these levels, the ineptitude displayed by attempting to charge for an idea no one wanted, while also locking down the platform/content so hard people that couldn't clip/screengrab it is just a cherry on top. That it got to the stage that it did just seems to be an indictment of where we're at with the economy and society.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - sjg007 6y ago
    You are correct, it's one of those terribly bad ideas that could be a billion dollar company if executed properly.
tmpz22 6y ago
The huge bet they made on "commuters will obsess over this" seemed so disconnected from reality. As if their entire executive board hadn't commuted in decades. For one thing, in most metros its dangerous to engross yourself in a video for so long (not that people aren't oblivious). For another their are a billion other places to get short-form content be it youtube, tiktok, instagram, snapchat, etc. Just foolishness all the way down.
- puranjay 6y ago
  I, for one, get terrible nausea and motion sickness if I look at screens while sitting in a cab. I suspect this is a fairly big issue among commuters who aren't taking the subway (which, in America, is practically no one outside of NYC).
  - bb88 6y ago
    It's probably not such a big deal when your head is up and your eyes are getting the sensory input of motion. But looking down at your phone is pretty terrible.
- marcinzm 6y ago
  >As if their entire executive board hadn't commuted in decades. They probably all have personal chauffeurs or used uber black cars so for them that was a typical commute.

sjg007 6y ago

The mistake Quibi made was charging for content. The idea otherwise is solid.

Jochim 6y ago
It seems like a pretty terrible idea. They tried to cram traditional formats into 10 minute blocks, there are two major problems that seem immediately obvious with this: 1. The content they produced is way too long to for the time period they're trying to occupy. You might spend 10 minutes ordering a coffee but that 10 minutes will be split into at least three segments whose length is arbitrary each time. This wouldn't matter so much if point two didn't exist 2. They created the type of content that needs to be paid attention to from start to end. They typically tried to take long form video content and squeeze it into a 10 minute format. This makes it entirely unsuitable when compared to the types of content people actually consume during the periods targetted. If you look at what people do during these time periods at the moment, you'll see that they're all very resilient to interruption by being unaffected by a lack of constant attention (scrolling twitter/facebook), having each piece of content be short enough that you'll likely be starting/finishing one when interrupted (tiktok), or by being a background task that doesn't demand constant attention (music/podcasts). The core idea behind Quibi seems to fail on all these levels, the ineptitude displayed by attempting to charge for an idea no one wanted, while also locking down the platform/content so hard people that couldn't clip/screengrab it is just a cherry on top. That it got to the stage that it did just seems to be an indictment of where we're at with the economy and society.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- sjg007 6y ago
  You are correct, it's one of those terribly bad ideas that could be a billion dollar company if executed properly.

tmpz22 6y ago

The huge bet they made on "commuters will obsess over this" seemed so disconnected from reality. As if their entire executive board hadn't commuted in decades. For one thing, in most metros its dangerous to engross yourself in a video for so long (not that people aren't oblivious). For another their are a billion other places to get short-form content be it youtube, tiktok, instagram, snapchat, etc. Just foolishness all the way down.

puranjay 6y ago
I, for one, get terrible nausea and motion sickness if I look at screens while sitting in a cab. I suspect this is a fairly big issue among commuters who aren't taking the subway (which, in America, is practically no one outside of NYC).
- bb88 6y ago
  It's probably not such a big deal when your head is up and your eyes are getting the sensory input of motion. But looking down at your phone is pretty terrible.
marcinzm 6y ago
>As if their entire executive board hadn't commuted in decades. They probably all have personal chauffeurs or used uber black cars so for them that was a typical commute.