How Google killed my startup • Hacker News Board

Re: How Google killed my startup

#51

Post by cpncrunch » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 3:43 PM UTC

tmuir wrote: post #46

How does an article simultaneously get upvoted to the front page, but universally destroyed in the comments?

I find the negativity weird, given that most of us here are (supposedly) building things. I think his idea has merit, and is different enough from Youtube Gaming that it can probably survive alongside. I think he perhaps just made a few mistakes -- the biggest one trying to get funding before testing the business model. (Although in his defence, that seems to be happening a lot these days).

Anyway, rather than just whining uselessly here I'm going to actually find his contact info and give him some suggestions.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#52

Post by achow » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 3:43 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #28

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And rightly so.

No. It may have been smart to let this idea go, but "Google entered the space" is not generally a good reason to give up. For niche products, small companies are often in a surprisingly good position to compete with Google (or pretty much any giant company). Advantages small companies have: * Much easier to change feature/function/benefit and packaging to adapt to the market * Not competing with revenue from 1000 oth…

This.

I was in Microsoft, part of an org which pulled in billions of dollars in double digits annually. When doing planning and visioning exercise, time and again we would never focus on scenarios which seemed to be ‘trivial’ (translating to hundreds of millions dollar revenue oppurtunity), as we had limited headcount and finite amount of time to execute.

Startups don’t realize how constrained are the product teams in big organizations, much more than many startups. Every headcount, every contract worker (if they are allowed at all) need to be fought for. And then there is bureaucracy - post planning and spec’ing it is impossible to do any sort of minor pivot, once the juggernaut starts rolling there is no stopping, no room for even a pause to evaluate a new threat.

I’m not an expert of gaming by any stretch and I’m sure the founders decided on best course of actions based upon their priorities but looking at the YouTube Gaming page (http://youtube-global.blogspot.in/2015/06/a-youtube-built-fo...), YouTube seem to be aiming for something which is natural extension of what was already happening in YouTube: “More than 25,000 games will each have their own page, a single place for all the best videos and live streams about that title. You’ll also find channels from a wide array of game publishers and YouTube creators.”

I thought the founders were right when they said YouTube Gaming launch is a validation. I’m sure in the initial days YouTube Gaming org would be taking small steps and would try to consolidate what is already happening in YouTube but perhaps in a disjointed fashion. Go for easy discoverability etc.

In this situation I would assume that there would be plenty of scenarios left uncovered which an innovative startup can solve for (which initially YouTube Gaming would be incapable of paying attention to due to resource constraints - people, time - however compelling they may be).

And hey, one could always build something with acquisition in mind - an acquisition by Google (YouTube gaming) wouldn’t have been a bad way to get validated in the end.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#53

Post by cpncrunch » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 4:48 PM UTC

shinratdr wrote: post #45

There is so much I don't like about this article I honestly don't even know where to begin.

I think the article is more about free PR than anything else. Pretty awesome IMO to get a write up in the Globe and Mail.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#54

Post by Mithaldu » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 5:08 PM UTC

FilterSweep wrote: post #48

Mithaldu wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Fighting games Those are competitive, which i addressed in my post. Note that the original article specifically mentions the Elder Scrolls series as an example. > GameFAQs has had a forum for ages In forums you go in and ask your question. Again, it functions like a reference work. > You're being facetious. That is a highly uncalled for accusation, and i am serious. (Though it may not have been entirely clear that…

This took me no more than 20 seconds of Youtube search. As it stands, the author did not provide a specific Elder Scrolls game, he generically referenced the series, but to take from the most recent RPG, Skyrim, here's the secrets of lockpicking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5fZobDqQbU Heres how to make your wife hot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozn-byvM8GU For their newer, online MMORPG game, heres some stra…

The middle two links are competitive, but the first two are legit.

I don't want to believe that there actually exists a market for people who'd subscribe to such, but you are right that such content exists, and maybe there is a market.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#55

Post by ahmacleod » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 5:32 PM UTC

tmuir wrote: post #46

How does an article simultaneously get upvoted to the front page, but universally destroyed in the comments?

The article is interesting and relevant, even if its premise is flawed. It certainly merits discussion, critical as it may be.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#56

Post by ahmacleod » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 5:34 PM UTC

cpncrunch wrote: post #53

shinratdr wrote: post #45

There is so much I don't like about this article I honestly don't even know where to begin.

I think the article is more about free PR than anything else. Pretty awesome IMO to get a write up in the Globe and Mail.

This. The Author pulled a serious coup here, translating an aborted business into a personal profile piece in a national paper.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#57

Post by ahmacleod » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 5:47 PM UTC

arihant wrote: post #25

It wasn't the Google who killed the startup, it was the OP. YouTube is already a threat to gaming video services, even without a specialized offering. Still, Twitch took off. If YouTube was going to be YouTube of gaming, then OP could have been Vimeo of gaming. I mean seriously, if Vimeo could be a profitable enterprise with a free, good enough YouTube, then so could them. I'm not sure about other people, but events…

Just to clarify: I'm the OP, not the Author.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#58

Post by cpncrunch » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 6:32 PM UTC

ahmacleod wrote: post #56

cpncrunch wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the article is more about free PR than anything else. Pretty awesome IMO to get a write up in the Globe and Mail.

This. The Author pulled a serious coup here, translating an aborted business into a personal profile piece in a national paper.

I'm not sure it's even aborted, possibly just on pause.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#59

Post by jreacher » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 6:42 PM UTC

Your biggest problem is you tried to create a product out of thin air.

You want to monetize video content? Guess what the best platform to do that is? YouTube.

I don't know why you would even consider building your own competing platform when YouTube is right there waiting and offers everything you need. There are countless examples of strong businesses that have grown out of publishing YouTube video content.

If you really believe there is a niche for the content, then this development hasn't changed that at all. If anything it just pivots you away from the silly idea of building a platform, toward the real value of the offering.

I realize it's not as 'sexy' just to publish YouTube videos, but it's a far more sensible approach.

Re: How Google killed my startup

#60

Post by graniter » Tue, Aug 18, 2015, 6:50 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #28

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And rightly so.

No. It may have been smart to let this idea go, but "Google entered the space" is not generally a good reason to give up. For niche products, small companies are often in a surprisingly good position to compete with Google (or pretty much any giant company). Advantages small companies have: * Much easier to change feature/function/benefit and packaging to adapt to the market * Not competing with revenue from 1000 oth…

Exactly. The platform will matter, but in this case the content is going to be king. Users are going to wherever the best content is. I saw the OP as being in a position to be able to complete with Google to provide quality content. That's not a bad position to be in. And that long tail can be really long with a lot of content that Google and others won't deal with.

I have heard several times how actually having some competition helps companies quite often. It's not automatically the end if someone else has a similar offering.