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With respect to a subscription bundle being the right model: probably so. But contrast Wirecutter with NYT restaurant reviews. Or movie or theater reviews. Tho
by AlbertCory 3y ago
With respect to a subscription bundle being the right model: probably so.
But contrast Wirecutter with NYT restaurant reviews. Or movie or theater reviews. Those have permanent staffs, who are free to establish their own brands, e.g. Ruth Reichl, A.O. Scott. If those reviews are coopted by the review subjects, I'm not aware of it.
- earlyriser 3y agoOn the other hand restaurant/movie critics have a vertical. If I want a ukulele I prefer a different critic that the one reviewing toasters, this is not possible with permanent staffs, unless the team is quite big or expert in everything.
- AlbertCory 3y agoThat's true, but the only way to cover everything is to be mediocre at all of it. Or corrupt. So they can have a few people who are expert in broad areas, like Walt Mosberg. No ukuleles, no toasters.
- fmajid 3y agoLong-term reliability is not a consideration for a restaurant meal (even if consistency is for the restaurant itself). Given how products churn and the practice of planned obsolescence, by the time you have the long-term durability results, the product is probably no longer available for sale.
- KingMob 3y agoThis is one of Consumer Reports' advantages. They regularly poll their readers for repair data to get a feel for how well things last, and use that as a factor in their recs on new products.
- fmajid 3y agoYes, the Lindy Effect is a valuable heuristic. But private equity firms love to buy a company with a sterling reputation, then run it into the ground while milking it for profits and saddling it with debts that will never be repaid, so you need to watch out for changes in ownership or management like a hawk.