4 ms·

"selling out" seems to be cheap criticism done for the sake of it (similar to what we today call "cancel culture") Yes, I'd like to get paid for my work, thank

"selling out" seems to be cheap criticism done for the sake of it (similar to what we today call "cancel culture") Yes, I'd like to get paid for my work, thanks very much.

ekianjo 4y ago
Selling out is not about being paid for your work. Its about milking your product into every possible way just to push profit.
- adrianmsmith 4y ago
  Also, if there's a choice between making greater art which is less popular and profitable, or making lesser art which is more popular and profitable, selling out is choosing to create the latter, whereas not selling out is choosing to create the former. Without having to know anything about art, if the artist persuades you that they are not "selling out" then they're persuading you that they're creating the best art possible i.e. you are consuming the best art possible i.e. you have great taste. Which feels great, so you buy more, which is the real reason why they're saying they're not selling out in the first place.
- rapind 4y ago
  Like making a great successful product that your users love and then selling it to E corp. There’s inherent wisdom behind the anti-sellout stance though that’s both obvious and yet often overlooked. When you “sellout” you are eroding trust. You’re another straw on the camel’s back. You gradually ruin a good thing for others. For example, I’m reluctant to invest time in to small saas products because I know their business model is eventual acquisition, which almost always ruins the product. I’ve become far more discerning and cynical of startups. This can’t be great for software startups if (as) others also adopt my cynicism. That being said. When you have an opportunity to walk away with millions I’m sure it’s not easy to resist. You might even choose to believe your own PR (E Corp has the resources to take our startup to the next level etc.).
- bryanrasmussen 4y ago
  I guess I would have to disagree with that, selling out for me would be decreasing the quality of your work or changing aspects of it at the dictates of another party in order to make profit. Generally you are selling out to someone, for example a large organization, that then gets to dictate aspects of your work in order to increase the profitability of your work, or ways that they expect will increase profitability. In such a situation you have sold out creative control.
  - ekianjo 4y ago
    An example of sellout. humble bundle. Even before they decided to be acquired by IGN they just kept pushing more and more crappy bundles just for the sake of profit and not quality. The mindset of making something special was long gone.

"selling out" seems to be cheap criticism done for the sake of it (similar to what we today call "cancel culture") Yes, I'd like to get paid for my work, thanks very much.

ekianjo 4y ago

Selling out is not about being paid for your work. Its about milking your product into every possible way just to push profit.

adrianmsmith 4y ago
Also, if there's a choice between making greater art which is less popular and profitable, or making lesser art which is more popular and profitable, selling out is choosing to create the latter, whereas not selling out is choosing to create the former. Without having to know anything about art, if the artist persuades you that they are not "selling out" then they're persuading you that they're creating the best art possible i.e. you are consuming the best art possible i.e. you have great taste. Which feels great, so you buy more, which is the real reason why they're saying they're not selling out in the first place.
rapind 4y ago
Like making a great successful product that your users love and then selling it to E corp. There’s inherent wisdom behind the anti-sellout stance though that’s both obvious and yet often overlooked. When you “sellout” you are eroding trust. You’re another straw on the camel’s back. You gradually ruin a good thing for others. For example, I’m reluctant to invest time in to small saas products because I know their business model is eventual acquisition, which almost always ruins the product. I’ve become far more discerning and cynical of startups. This can’t be great for software startups if (as) others also adopt my cynicism. That being said. When you have an opportunity to walk away with millions I’m sure it’s not easy to resist. You might even choose to believe your own PR (E Corp has the resources to take our startup to the next level etc.).
bryanrasmussen 4y ago
I guess I would have to disagree with that, selling out for me would be decreasing the quality of your work or changing aspects of it at the dictates of another party in order to make profit. Generally you are selling out to someone, for example a large organization, that then gets to dictate aspects of your work in order to increase the profitability of your work, or ways that they expect will increase profitability. In such a situation you have sold out creative control.
- ekianjo 4y ago
  An example of sellout. humble bundle. Even before they decided to be acquired by IGN they just kept pushing more and more crappy bundles just for the sake of profit and not quality. The mindset of making something special was long gone.