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> Or it might mean that the product really doesn't deserve to exist as a consumer product. Why? If a product or experience is used by people, and enjoyed, and
by vineyardmike 2y ago
> Or it might mean that the product really doesn't deserve to exist as a consumer product.
Why?
If a product or experience is used by people, and enjoyed, and could not be monetized directly, why should it not exist?
I think of Alexa/Google Assistant/Siri as representative examples. Some set of execs decided to fund these voice assistants - now used by millions - and they obviously don’t make money. Would customers be better off if they were jettisoned to drown on their own?
I just don’t see why it’s wrong that businesses have these silly side projects. We seem to have competition even amongst the subsidized vanity projects.
Again, I think a breakup wouldn’t be bad overall, but I don’t think this is the thing missing in the industry.
- worik 2y ago> ....Alexa/Google Assistant/Siri... and they obviously don’t make money. If you take a very narrow view of "make money" They are immensely valuable to the owners and an important part of the systematic maintenance of people as "consumers" rather than "citizens". We would be better off, over all, without the whole thing.
- vineyardmike 2y ago> If you take a very narrow view of "make money" > They are immensely valuable to the owners This is, of course, the entire point of this entire thread. Its not a particularly "narrow" view, FWIW, because most businesses have a P&L sheet that will list expenses and revenues, and entire business units have big "costs" and not so big "revenue". Which is what "don't make money" means.
- ksec 2y agoAgree. It is the exact same question again and again with bundling [1] and unbundling. I guess I will have to submit it again. [1] https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2020/12/21/google-bundling-and-kill-zones https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2020/12/21/google-bu...