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Some insider details as someone who knew some of the Revue team - based mostly in the Netherlands. The majority of the team was cut in the first wave of Twitte
by gregdoesit 4y ago
Some insider details as someone who knew some of the Revue team - based mostly in the Netherlands.
The majority of the team was cut in the first wave of Twitter layoffs on 4 November (wrote about this [1]) - when 50% of people were let go. By this time, most of them were working on Twitter's long form tweets, which feature was being tested with customers.
So this decision was indirectly made on the first week of the Twitter takeover. In the end, it was perhaps two people left from the old Revue team. Today, there's only the founder of Revue, who wrote this article, everyone else let go AFAIK.
What was very, very surprising to me is how, a month and a half later, Elon Musk replied to a question on how he's open to the idea of acquiring Substack [2]. But he just shut down Revue, which was exactly "Twitter's Substack" version with all the same features: newsletters, support for paid, plus first-class integration into Twitter that Substack does not have.
[1] https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/cruel-changes-at-twitter https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/cruel-changes-at-twitter
[2] https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1607936197602562050 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1607936197602562050
- agentdrtran 4y ago[flagged]
- dvt 4y agoShort-sighted decision? Revue was basically DOA and Twitter did zero customer development since its acquisition. Shutting down Revue is probably the best decision he's made so far.
- ssharp 4y ago> But he just shut down Revue, which was exactly "Twitter's Substack" version Google Video was "Google's YouTube" but Google still decided YouTube was worth acquiring.
- throwaway14356 4y agostrangled by python
- pifm_guy 4y agoSo was YouTube...
- pnf 4y agoI suspect the value of something like that isn't the tech but the established writers+audiences. Substack is the best current example of independent journalism and columnists managing and monetizing their loyal readership without the brand umbrella of a major publication.
- tobyjsullivan 4y ago> Elon Musk replied to a question on how he's open to the idea of acquiring Substack [2]. Every CEO is “open to” any acquisition, just as any VC is “open to” funding any company. At least until someone asks for terms. The only interpretation of “open to” in the business world is “not a hard, irreversible ‘no’.”
- pcthrowaway 4y agoHe's probably more careful not to say anything legally binding regarding an agreement to acquire after the Twitter misstep.
- throwaway14356 4y agoor in musks case, yes! maybe! no! perhaps! uhh ok fine whatever..
- dsfyu404ed 4y agoEveryone's open to everything at the right price.