I think the growth before profits mentality of SV startups has been cargo culted way too far. Free to play games demonstrate an alternative model (pushing cust

I think the growth before profits mentality of SV startups has been cargo culted way too far. Free to play games demonstrate an alternative model (pushing customers to spend via service rate limits, cosmetics and limited time deals) that is more honest in my opinion, since the value proposition is right there for the user to see, and it lets you monetize without degrading the experience for the average user (as long as you know how to manage your whales).