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Why? Google, Facebook, and others convinced consumers that software, storage, etc. should be free. Try to sell better email than Google email to consumers? Goo
by tlogan 12y ago
Why? Google, Facebook, and others convinced consumers that software, storage, etc. should be free.
Try to sell better email than Google email to consumers? Good luck - you will get so much hate email "this should be free" that you can write a book from them.
Anyway I'm not aware of any new B2C software company which is hot right now. But please correct me - I would love to know (and learn how they get over 99% users who think it should be free).
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- api 12y agoIt's not free. It's supported by surveillance. But people don't care. If people started caring about that kind of thing, new niches could open up for alternatives that were more secure and under user control.
- nostrademons 12y agoHistorically, software was free - it was a value-add thrown in to support sales of hardware or developed by universities and licensed to the public. Microsoft was the one who convinced consumers that they oughtta pay for their software, and then Netscape convinced them that they shouldn't. Anyway, the way to get consumers to shell out for software is to solve a problem that they'd previously been spending money on. Netflix gets away with charging because the alternative was Blockbuster, which was even more expensive. Spotify and Rdio get away with charging because the alternative was buying CDs, which was even more expensive. Uber and Lyft get away with charging because the alternative was taxis or buying a car, which are even more expensive. Solve a problem like rent, taxes, gas, better jobs, Internet, etc. and you'll have a bunch of people happily shelling out money.