4 ms·

Twitter went from an unprofitable business to a very unprofitable business. It may be comforting to call it a “media narrative” but facts are facts. Maybe they

Twitter went from an unprofitable business to a very unprofitable business. It may be comforting to call it a “media narrative” but facts are facts. Maybe they can somehow turn it around but I don’t see how.

cinntaile 4y ago
That doesn't sound accurate. Considering all the lay-offs and other cost cuts it should have gone from very unprofitable to unprofitable.
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  Over half their advertisers have yet to return. Might be why Elon is personally promoting ads.
  - dmix 4y ago
    Source? Edit: 625 out of 1000 top companies advertising in sept weren't advertising in first weeks of Jan. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertiser-decline/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertiser-d...
  - pessimizer 4y ago
    That doesn't have anything to do with verification badges, that has to do with the anti-Musk fandom lobbying his advertisers.
    - CaptainZapp 4y ago
      It probably has more to do that reputed brands don't want to be associated with the cesspool that Mr. Musk allowed back onto the platform Threatening your customers[0] in the process is probably also not a winning formula. [0] https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-name-shame-advertisers-who-pull-budget-2022-11?r=US&IR=T https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-name-shame-adverti...
    - kerpotgh 4y ago
      Advertisers trying to reach the most number of people don’t want to associate with toxic discourse that disparages a lot of the populace. It’s about as free market as it gets.
- jackson1442 4y ago
  They’re also saddled with billions in interest payments on Elon’s debt now, so markedly worse off than before.
- WA 4y ago
  They replaced their bill for a somewhat productive workforce with a bigger, completely unproductive interest bill. So no, Twitter didn’t become less unprofitable.
_blz2 4y ago
this is straight up false.
- hotpotamus 4y ago
  Got any financial documents about it that you'd care to share? I'm sure they'd be of interest. I was also under the impression that Musk blew a huge hole in the finances of an already marginal business, but I don't think I or anyone besides Twitter insiders actually have the numbers now.
- flangola7 4y ago
  Which part? It's public knowledge that Twitter was barely afloat before Musk. Since then most of the pumps (advertisers) keeping water out of the ship have been lost overboard. Twitter's debt management alone is a billion dollars per month.
vishal0123 4y ago
Calling it "facts are facts" without any source does not make it true.
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  You’re right. I had something to say but didn’t take the time to support it. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertiser-decline/index.html https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertis...
  - vishal0123 4y ago
    TBH, that is the definition of media narrative. I don't see any dollar value in the report for twitter losses. It could be that the market is flexible and those advertisers were replaced by someone else(not saying that happened, but the article is hardly proof of twitter's losses)
    - Waterluvian 4y ago
      I think it becomes troublesome when the data is confidential and the company is private. Do we just not talk about anything when we don’t have hard data? On the other hand, they are reporting a study that they may have even paid for and don’t actually share the details of the study. So I certainly see your point. On the other other hand, I think the “soft” signals like Elon asking people to hit the like button for ads, or the various reports of orgs pulling their ad campaigns suggests that there is general distress. Which is what’s on my mind when I think it’s more than a “narrative,” which I tend to interpret as hand wavy “media bias” used to explain away anything that doesn’t support one’s own narrative.

cinntaile 4y ago

That doesn't sound accurate. Considering all the lay-offs and other cost cuts it should have gone from very unprofitable to unprofitable.

Waterluvian 4y ago
Over half their advertisers have yet to return. Might be why Elon is personally promoting ads.
- dmix 4y ago
  Source? Edit: 625 out of 1000 top companies advertising in sept weren't advertising in first weeks of Jan. https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertiser-decline/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertiser-d...
- pessimizer 4y ago
  That doesn't have anything to do with verification badges, that has to do with the anti-Musk fandom lobbying his advertisers.
  - CaptainZapp 4y ago
    It probably has more to do that reputed brands don't want to be associated with the cesspool that Mr. Musk allowed back onto the platform Threatening your customers[0] in the process is probably also not a winning formula. [0] https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-name-shame-advertisers-who-pull-budget-2022-11?r=US&IR=T https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-name-shame-adverti...
  - kerpotgh 4y ago
    Advertisers trying to reach the most number of people don’t want to associate with toxic discourse that disparages a lot of the populace. It’s about as free market as it gets.
jackson1442 4y ago
They’re also saddled with billions in interest payments on Elon’s debt now, so markedly worse off than before.
WA 4y ago
They replaced their bill for a somewhat productive workforce with a bigger, completely unproductive interest bill. So no, Twitter didn’t become less unprofitable.

_blz2 4y ago

this is straight up false.

hotpotamus 4y ago
Got any financial documents about it that you'd care to share? I'm sure they'd be of interest. I was also under the impression that Musk blew a huge hole in the finances of an already marginal business, but I don't think I or anyone besides Twitter insiders actually have the numbers now.
flangola7 4y ago
Which part? It's public knowledge that Twitter was barely afloat before Musk. Since then most of the pumps (advertisers) keeping water out of the ship have been lost overboard. Twitter's debt management alone is a billion dollars per month.

vishal0123 4y ago

Calling it "facts are facts" without any source does not make it true.

Waterluvian 4y ago
You’re right. I had something to say but didn’t take the time to support it. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertiser-decline/index.html https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/10/tech/twitter-top-advertis...
- vishal0123 4y ago
  TBH, that is the definition of media narrative. I don't see any dollar value in the report for twitter losses. It could be that the market is flexible and those advertisers were replaced by someone else(not saying that happened, but the article is hardly proof of twitter's losses)
  - Waterluvian 4y ago
    I think it becomes troublesome when the data is confidential and the company is private. Do we just not talk about anything when we don’t have hard data? On the other hand, they are reporting a study that they may have even paid for and don’t actually share the details of the study. So I certainly see your point. On the other other hand, I think the “soft” signals like Elon asking people to hit the like button for ads, or the various reports of orgs pulling their ad campaigns suggests that there is general distress. Which is what’s on my mind when I think it’s more than a “narrative,” which I tend to interpret as hand wavy “media bias” used to explain away anything that doesn’t support one’s own narrative.