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I suspect it isn't even really "greed". It is just the slow mold growth of an org chart optimizing comfort for itself instead of value for customers. Generally,
by osigurdson 5mo ago
I suspect it isn't even really "greed". It is just the slow mold growth of an org chart optimizing comfort for itself instead of value for customers. Generally, startups / founders are the only anti-bodies against this type of behavior.
- a1o 5mo agoI think org chart the impact is how the individual person can advance their career while doing good work. If they only get rewarded for new things, service and maintenance suffers.
- bavell 5mo agoWhat a weird time for our industry. On one hand, small teams have never been able to move faster than right now. On the other, the economy and market conditions are brutal for the little guys. Incumbent behemoths hoovering up value, talent and financing. Instead of shaking things up as usual when a major paradigm shift hits, AI has mostly been a centralizing, consolidating force. Not that I was expecting it to be otherwise, but it's certainly dismaying to witness. Or am I being too pessimistic / glorifying the past?
- pocksuppet 5mo agoThis is not just the tech industry. It's easier than ever to make your own furniture. IKEA is bigger than ever. It's easier than ever to publish a video game. Steam is bigger than ever. It's easier than ever to 3D-print tractor parts. John Deere is bigger than ever. It's easier than ever to switch to solar power. The petroleum industry is bigger than ever. One person reverse-engineered Coca Cola, made an exact taste-alike and published the formula. You can make some at home. Coca Cola is bigger than ever. Something fundamental is wrong with the economy.
- AuthAuth 5mo agoThe hidden cost to competing in these industries is insane. Its so hard to build a physical product that can compete against a giant like IKEA. You need to make some with less r&d, less automation, less infrastructure and you're going to sell less units and all that needs to be price competitive against something that is made on an production line with a team of experienced engineers and sold to millions at fine margins.
- pjc50 5mo ago> It's easier than ever to publish a video game. Steam is bigger than ever. In this case: these statements aren't contradictory, they're complementary. It's easy to publish a game on Steam, where the audience are and the money is. It's also easy to publish on itch.io where no money is.
- pocksuppet 5mo agoIt's not "you publish a game on Steam" - it's "Steam publishes a game that you made." But it's easier than ever to publish it yourself too.
- hvb2 5mo ago> Something fundamental is wrong with the economy. Economies of scale make it so that your home made furniture will still be more expensive than ikea. Same for the Coca Cola example. For tractor parts, you would still need to make sure they don't break and work within small tolerances.
- pocksuppet 5mo agoThat depends, doesn't it? If I make it, it costs time instead of money. (Costs of tools are amortized over all the things I might make.) If I get it from IKEA, it costs money instead of time.
- davedx 5mo agoIt most certainly is also greed. Stockholders want returns. One way to do that is maximize profits at all costs. Greed.
- osigurdson 5mo agoHow does low quality translate to shareholder returns?
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- tardedmeme 5mo agoShareholder returns translate to low quality because money is never reinvested in the business. Everything is cut to the bone.
- mcepl 5mo agoBy lowering cost and not investing profit to the company? Yes, short-term v long-term, but who in this world cares about anything after their next salary?