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This guy has been around for a while ... This business strategy has been around a long time. Here are some other large modern examples: Amway was founded in 1

This guy has been around for a while ... This business strategy has been around a long time. Here are some other large modern examples: Amway was founded in 1959. [The FTC ordered] Amway to stop retail price fixing and allocating customers among distributors and prohibited the company from misrepresenting the amount of profit, earnings or sales its distributors are likely to achieve with the business. Amway was ordered to accompany any such statements with the actual averages per distributor, pointing out that more than half of the distributors do not make any money, with the average distributor making less than $100 per month. The order was violated with a 1986 ad campaign, resulting in a $100,000 fine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amway#FTC_Investigation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amway#FTC_Investigation Herbalife was founded in 1980. A 2004 settlement resolved a class action suit on behalf of 8700 former and current distributors that accused the company and distributors of "essentially running a pyramid scheme." A total of $6 million was to be paid out, with defendants not admitting guilt. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalife#Controversies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalife#Controversies

run4yourlives 17y ago
And both offer extremely informative insight on how to create a successful and profitable business. Let's just say both of those examples are much better businesses than 90% of the tech that's been released on the web to date. I'm concerned about the psychology of monetizing a product - because it's the same regardless - not the fact that their particular product isn't appealing to you. If you want to discount an entire examination of how people are convinced to give money to companies so be it. Given that I'm trying to accomplish that exact thing however, I'd like to understand as much about it as I can.
- antonovka 17y ago
  And both offer extremely informative insight on how to create a successful and profitable business. Only if the business you're building is swindling individuals trying to build their own business.
  - run4yourlives 17y ago
    Yet both business still exist and are extremely profitable. Like I said, if you choose to discount the entire industry as unethical, believing it can teach you nothing, so be it. I however would like to examine what and how they continue to be successful, with the thinking that these people - ethical or not - have clearly captured a way to monetize their customers that has been very effective. These principles can no doubt be applied in much broader strokes to varying degrees.
    - antonovka 17y ago
      Yet both business still exist and are extremely profitable. Like I said, if you choose to discount the entire industry as unethical, believing it can teach you nothing, so be it. I'm curious what you think people who sell other people on selling people on selling people have to actually teach someone that owns a company that survives by creating? Other than how to sell the Brooklyn Bridge, that is.
      - run4yourlives 17y ago
        Well, how about the fact that you the value of said creation is determined by the customer, not the creator? I'm curious as to why you're so emotional about the whole thing. It's really not worth such a long discussion.
        antonovka 17y ago
        Well, how about the fact that you the value of said creation is determined by the customer, not the creator? If that's they way you want to look at it. I don't do business with that kind of person, since they usually try to sell me on the idea that something is worth far more than it actually is. I'm curious as to why you're so emotional about the whole thing. It's really not worth such a long discussion. I'd prefer to not see more SEO/MLM/MakeMoneyOnline posts on Hacker News, so I stated my disagrement with your comment.
        17y ago

run4yourlives 17y ago

And both offer extremely informative insight on how to create a successful and profitable business. Let's just say both of those examples are much better businesses than 90% of the tech that's been released on the web to date. I'm concerned about the psychology of monetizing a product - because it's the same regardless - not the fact that their particular product isn't appealing to you. If you want to discount an entire examination of how people are convinced to give money to companies so be it. Given that I'm trying to accomplish that exact thing however, I'd like to understand as much about it as I can.

antonovka 17y ago
And both offer extremely informative insight on how to create a successful and profitable business. Only if the business you're building is swindling individuals trying to build their own business.
- run4yourlives 17y ago
  Yet both business still exist and are extremely profitable. Like I said, if you choose to discount the entire industry as unethical, believing it can teach you nothing, so be it. I however would like to examine what and how they continue to be successful, with the thinking that these people - ethical or not - have clearly captured a way to monetize their customers that has been very effective. These principles can no doubt be applied in much broader strokes to varying degrees.
  - antonovka 17y ago
    Yet both business still exist and are extremely profitable. Like I said, if you choose to discount the entire industry as unethical, believing it can teach you nothing, so be it. I'm curious what you think people who sell other people on selling people on selling people have to actually teach someone that owns a company that survives by creating? Other than how to sell the Brooklyn Bridge, that is.
    - run4yourlives 17y ago
      Well, how about the fact that you the value of said creation is determined by the customer, not the creator? I'm curious as to why you're so emotional about the whole thing. It's really not worth such a long discussion.
      - antonovka 17y ago
        Well, how about the fact that you the value of said creation is determined by the customer, not the creator? If that's they way you want to look at it. I don't do business with that kind of person, since they usually try to sell me on the idea that something is worth far more than it actually is. I'm curious as to why you're so emotional about the whole thing. It's really not worth such a long discussion. I'd prefer to not see more SEO/MLM/MakeMoneyOnline posts on Hacker News, so I stated my disagrement with your comment.
        17y ago