3 ms·
It might not hold always, but it is a very good rule-of-thumb. Normally, a company (either startup or not) cares most for its clients, because they are the one
by harperlee 11y ago
It might not hold always, but it is a very good rule-of-thumb.
Normally, a company (either startup or not) cares most for its clients, because they are the ones that pay its topline and ultimately its workers' salaries. Other parties (users, providers, government, whatever) also have power and can also influence the company's behaviour, but clients normally have it easiest.
That does not always hold, as I said. Another example is you being a commodity client; if the company is, for example, more interested on big clients, your interests might not be the first concern for that company. But they will have you in mind, nonetheless, as the bad service you receive can signal something bad for bigger clients. Sometimes, even big clients are commodities, as they can't wield a lot of power, so the company can act not in its client's best interests (monopolies or tax burden when price is inelastic are scenarios that come quickly to mind).
- TeMPOraL 11y agoThat's why I mentioned SaaS startups - because they're both an exception to your rule and something HN demographic has to deal with a lot. I still don't buy that rule though. Let me illustrate it by a graph: ..... | ooooooo ...... . | ooo ....oo ... | ooo .... ooo .... | oo .. oo .. | o .. o .. | o .. oo . profits | o . oo | o .. o user satisafaction -+-o-.----------------------------------------------------> Companies have figured out that the point of maximum profit is not aligned with the point of maximum user satisfaction, and they only care about the former - the latter is a proxy. In every mature market we're past maximum user satisfaction point, and this is what we perceive as "products getting crappier".