Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#11

Post by degenerate » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:02 PM UTC

supahfly_remix wrote: post #7

Does the Hasidic community have any advantages in the reseller market? With some of their traditional businesses, such as the diamond trade they do: evaluating gems, connections for sourcing stones, etc.

I know nothing about the culture, but if the fathers are already in these trades and instill a business mindset in their sons early on, it makes sense that they excel in running the trades they grew up watching, listening, studying, and helping their fathers run.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#12

Post by mlevental » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:04 PM UTC

electriclove wrote: post #6

People making a business selling on Amazon.. If you left out the religion, would this be a story? Is the point to get NYT and BuzzFeed clicks? Is it to get more attendance at the 'how you can get rich selling on Amazon' conferences? For better or worse, is it to show how a certain demographic is making a lot of money? I'm not a fan of these articles..

it's interesting because it gives insight into a culture and community we typically don't have access to. the point isn't amazon - the point is the hasids.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#13

Post by shoes_for_thee » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:08 PM UTC

undefined3840 wrote: post #9

I think there’s something about knowing you need to care for a large family (e.g. a member of a religion that values having lots of kids) that is motivating for entrepreneurs in a way I don’t always hear about e.g. entrepreneurial tendencies among Hasidic Jews and Mormons

That'd be pretty to think so, but the wide majority of the Satmar community lives in poverty and is dependent on government benefits. The tendency towards entrepreneurship -- if there is one -- is more likely to be the result of being unwilling or unable to assimilate into a non-religious society.

I can't speak for the LDSs, since I don't know them.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#14

Post by paulcarroty » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:09 PM UTC

kova12 wrote: post #3

article is behind paywall

Just disable JS on the page.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#15

Post by localareaman » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:10 PM UTC

electriclove wrote: post #6

People making a business selling on Amazon.. If you left out the religion, would this be a story? Is the point to get NYT and BuzzFeed clicks? Is it to get more attendance at the 'how you can get rich selling on Amazon' conferences? For better or worse, is it to show how a certain demographic is making a lot of money? I'm not a fan of these articles..

Any story or comment about Jews coming up with a clever way of making money feels anti-semitic to me.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#16

Post by mlevental » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:11 PM UTC

localareaman wrote: post #15

electriclove wrote: post #6

People making a business selling on Amazon.. If you left out the religion, would this be a story? Is the point to get NYT and BuzzFeed clicks? Is it to get more attendance at the 'how you can get rich selling on Amazon' conferences? For better or worse, is it to show how a certain demographic is making a lot of money? I'm not a fan of these articles..

Any story or comment about Jews coming up with a clever way of making money feels anti-semitic to me.

maybe because you're projecting? it's a local culture piece (it's in the ny region section). for better or worse the hasids are large component of ny culture.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#17

Post by searine » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:13 PM UTC

Considering how prevalent state-provided aid is among ultra-conservative sects like this, it is good to see a viable career path for them.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#18

Post by helpPeople » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:13 PM UTC

eldenbishop wrote: post #8

kova12 wrote: post #3

article is behind paywall

Seems like an unusually large percentage of posts on Hacker News are behind paywalls, some soft, some hard, some with a maximum free articles per time-unit. I peruse most of the top stories daily and can't read a good number of them making me have to just read the comments to get a sense of the article. It is seriously annoying. I wish there was some kind of flair or warning on these posts.

I'm with you.

Mods currate the front page, so everything I read here seems like an advertisement.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#19

Post by GhettoMaestro » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:13 PM UTC

jweir wrote: post #4

About 6 years ago I ordered a tv on Amazon, it was going to be shipped out and delivered in about a week. About an hour later I got a phone a call with a thick accented voice – "John, John, are you home?" "Who is this?" "I got your TV, we can come over right now." Sure enough they pulled up with their van and I got my TV about two hours after I ordered. Unknown to me I had ordered it from a Hasidic run company just d…

Nice! I wonder if the vendor gets his money earlier from Amazon if he delivered it faster.

Re: Amazon Has Transformed the Hasidic Economy

#20

Post by jonny_eh » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 7:14 PM UTC

shoes_for_thee wrote: post #13

undefined3840 wrote: post #9

I think there’s something about knowing you need to care for a large family (e.g. a member of a religion that values having lots of kids) that is motivating for entrepreneurs in a way I don’t always hear about e.g. entrepreneurial tendencies among Hasidic Jews and Mormons

That'd be pretty to think so, but the wide majority of the Satmar community lives in poverty and is dependent on government benefits. The tendency towards entrepreneurship -- if there is one -- is more likely to be the result of being unwilling or unable to assimilate into a non-religious society. I can't speak for the LDSs, since I don't know them.

Exactly, it probably has more to do with setting your own hours plus not needing to ask permission to take off for religious holidays or even Saturdays.