Interesting, I would have argued the opposite: well thought-out subscription businesses are goldmines. Once you have a customer, you aren't billing them a sing

Interesting, I would have argued the opposite: well thought-out subscription businesses are goldmines. Once you have a customer, you aren't billing them a single time -- often, you're billing them repeatedly for the option to use your service, whether or not they actually use your service. A customer has to take an additional action to stop paying you. Are you arguing that non-subscription businesses don't have customer acquisition costs? Or just that CAC for subscriptions are higher? "Name a few successful subscription businesses. Successful (in my mind) means PROFITABLE. Revenue does not mean sh. Come-on, name 'em. (Those that you do name will have some sort of monopoly or exclusive right to a physical asset)." What about most SAAS businesses? Or most magazines? Hosting providers? World of Warcraft? But I totally agree with you about the content providers like Starz calling the shots and ultimately deciding whether Netflix lives or dies.