5 ms·

It does seem that VCs have a bias towards funding business models that are popular in the valley, even if they haven't been proven yet. The subscription box o'

It does seem that VCs have a bias towards funding business models that are popular in the valley, even if they haven't been proven yet. The subscription box o' crap is a model being used by dozens of startups, but I can't think of any that is really successful.

fennecfoxen 14y ago
Well, the subscription box model is working out okay for the likes of Tonx (coffee - http://tonx.org http://tonx.org - and delicious coffee at that) but I'm not aware that they're trying to go the Silicon Valley venture-capital startup route at all.
- homosaur 14y ago
  Tonx really does provide a product that is passion driven though. Most people are not passionate about new razors or underwear or toilet paper. You're glad to have it but you have little emotional attachment in the way of something like coffee.
  - Resident_Geek 14y ago
    A small bit of evidence to the contrary: http://www.reddit.com/r/coffee http://www.reddit.com/r/coffee: 35,566 subscribers http://www.reddit.com/r/Wicked_edge http://www.reddit.com/r/Wicked_edge: 26,612 subscribers
- graue 14y ago
  Wow, this looks great, only I'm a tea drinker... is anyone trying to do this for tea?
  - rdl 14y ago
    I just go to uptontea and buy based on what is on special at the time, which works pretty well. I have a few real preferences, so "box o crap" wouldn't work as well for me.
jonnathanson 14y ago
I don't disagree that VCs are susceptible to fads and trends. A few years back, it was "We're X, but social." Then it was "We're X, but with geolocation." And who could forget the wave of "We're X, but with gamification," or "We're the Groupon of X?" And right now, the "subscription box of crap" model is still pretty trendy. That said, the real question we should be asking ourselves isn't "Does the subscription box model work," but rather, "In which markets does it actually address a big problem?" Trends can be useful, but we need to read them with better common sense than we do.
pseudorocker 14y ago
Birchbox and ipsy appear to be doing quite well, in terms of sheer scale. But yes, it seems like 2012 was the Year of the Subscription, and most are floundering, gone, or have switch business models (I am actively watching the space). Just pointing out, there are some budding successes.

fennecfoxen 14y ago

Well, the subscription box model is working out okay for the likes of Tonx (coffee - http://tonx.org http://tonx.org - and delicious coffee at that) but I'm not aware that they're trying to go the Silicon Valley venture-capital startup route at all.

homosaur 14y ago
Tonx really does provide a product that is passion driven though. Most people are not passionate about new razors or underwear or toilet paper. You're glad to have it but you have little emotional attachment in the way of something like coffee.
- Resident_Geek 14y ago
  A small bit of evidence to the contrary: http://www.reddit.com/r/coffee http://www.reddit.com/r/coffee: 35,566 subscribers http://www.reddit.com/r/Wicked_edge http://www.reddit.com/r/Wicked_edge: 26,612 subscribers
graue 14y ago
Wow, this looks great, only I'm a tea drinker... is anyone trying to do this for tea?
- rdl 14y ago
  I just go to uptontea and buy based on what is on special at the time, which works pretty well. I have a few real preferences, so "box o crap" wouldn't work as well for me.

jonnathanson 14y ago

I don't disagree that VCs are susceptible to fads and trends. A few years back, it was "We're X, but social." Then it was "We're X, but with geolocation." And who could forget the wave of "We're X, but with gamification," or "We're the Groupon of X?" And right now, the "subscription box of crap" model is still pretty trendy. That said, the real question we should be asking ourselves isn't "Does the subscription box model work," but rather, "In which markets does it actually address a big problem?" Trends can be useful, but we need to read them with better common sense than we do.

pseudorocker 14y ago

Birchbox and ipsy appear to be doing quite well, in terms of sheer scale. But yes, it seems like 2012 was the Year of the Subscription, and most are floundering, gone, or have switch business models (I am actively watching the space). Just pointing out, there are some budding successes.