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Hoo boy, this is what everybody was saying at the end of Web 1.0. Evan Williams started a website called theendoffree.com (http://web.archive.org/web/*/theendof
by spolsky 18y ago
Hoo boy, this is what everybody was saying at the end of Web 1.0. Evan Williams started a website called theendoffree.com (http://web.archive.org/web/*/theendoffree.com http://web.archive.org/web/*/theendoffree.com).
Then Web 2.0 happened. Ev starting doing free things again.
Coincidentally, the "End of Free" theory comes in waves, timed to the business cycles.
- trapper 18y agoIt certainly would be interesting to go through crunchbase and do some exit analysis for each of the companies. I would hypothesise that there would be a really high failure rate of companies who do not charge. Conversely a "huge exit" rate for companies who charge would be insignificant. It will be interesting to get your take given your position with a stable paid business vs stackoverflow - which do you see as the best long term?
- axod 18y agoThat would be really skewed. Most websites making money from advertising don't bother getting on Crunchbase. They don't need to go the whole 'schmooze VCs' etc route.
- mattmaroon 18y agoInterestingly most of the more spectacular flameouts of Web 1.0 (Webvan, Pets.com, Govworks) were using a more traditional business model.