Live data from Hacker News

Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

bigtechnology.substack.com

311–320 of 343 posts

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that the startup culture and everyone wanting to be a tech billionaire kind of changed the amount of midlevel companies. Most of them get acquired by the big ones at one point - or aren't able to compete with them technologically. Everything gets absorbed into blobs of enterprises that do not give a single damn about the individual customer. The ironic thing here is that this goal, being absorbed by corporate…

For a lot of people, the reward is money. Not legacy. Not vision. Money. Uber was built for money. Facebook was built for money. The reason buy-outs are more common is because the tech giants have gotten large enough to offer so god damn much money that very few people have enough non-monetary drive to continue the risk. Incentives affect actions in a dose dependent manner.

Take thay money and donate it, or plant a forest. There is nothing wrong with making money and then spending it on all the right things

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#312
post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that the startup culture and everyone wanting to be a tech billionaire kind of changed the amount of midlevel companies. Most of them get acquired by the big ones at one point - or aren't able to compete with them technologically. Everything gets absorbed into blobs of enterprises that do not give a single damn about the individual customer. The ironic thing here is that this goal, being absorbed by corporate…

> I want to build a legacy, not some zuck or besos weekend shopping item. Yeah, keep that view and you'll succeed. Beware of: children, relationships that expect things from you, anyone that isn't within your reality distortion field. I'm with you. I guess your in your twenties. Me, early thirties. It does get harder to say no to everything everyone around you is doing successfully, for moral reasons. Zuck/bezos and…

>not that there are any

https://www.grunge.com/143621/the-dark-truth-about-amazon-fo...

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is probably overblown if only because practice has borne out that the Asian platform model has ported very poorly to the US. Americans don't seem to be interested in using massive platform apps that contain the kitchen sink; WeChat is available but not popular, same for LINE, and Messenger never successfully became that. Right now the most successful overseas strategy for a software company has been Tencent's ga…

>Americans don't seem to be interested in using massive platform apps that contain the kitchen sink I mean, Facebook's app is basically exactly that.

And how many young people are using Facebook?

Facebook reported declines in daily active users in North America during Q3 2020: https://www.engadget.com/facebook-q3-2020-earnings-204642328...

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But Trader Joe's doesn't sell anything that is name brand? The whole store is store brand.

They stock plenty of third party Wine in my area, although the beer is all Trader Joe labeled. There are a handful of other things that aren't Trader Joe store brand or completely generic (yet?). Not that it would matter here, the law in question sets the market cap miles above where Trader Joe's is.

I had forgotten about the beer/wine, as the one I've been going to doesn't have that section. With the alcohol oligopoly it makes sense they can't make house brands so easily.

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Kirkland is just Costco making a bulk deal with one of the manufacturers and slapping Kirkland brand on it.

It’s the same with the other retailers. They do not own their own factories.

This does happen. Many regional chains do own there own factories however. Many of them produce both store brands and 'premiums brands under license. It's a complicated business.

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why wouldn't an international tech co just be able to acquire domestic companies and/or launch products at a significant loss to gain market share in the US? For example, break up Amazon and you now create an opening for Alibaba to expand into the US. Spending billions in order to get customers to shift to Alibaba instead of Amazon.

This is probably overblown if only because practice has borne out that the Asian platform model has ported very poorly to the US. Americans don't seem to be interested in using massive platform apps that contain the kitchen sink; WeChat is available but not popular, same for LINE, and Messenger never successfully became that. Right now the most successful overseas strategy for a software company has been Tencent's ga…

Not sure how you were able to miss TikTok which has absolutely blown every other tech co out of the water with respect to stickiness and engagement.

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reminds me of the Florida laws that explicitly carve out exceptions for businesses that run theme parks (cough cough Disney) https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-censorship-law-looph...

It makes me wonder why Google or Facebook hasn't bought Great America yet.

It’s a recent law, there is still time for Faceland or Google America.

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we protect out markets from all monopolies, foreign included, we'd end up with tons of competitive companies all scrapping to be the best. Instead what we've got now are monoliths that will gradually ossify into cable-company levels of innovation and customer service. Breaking up domestic monopolies would be one of the best things we could do to compete internationally.

Breaking up domestic monopolies would be one of the best things we could do to compete internationally. International monopolies will be able to expand into the US and burn cash to acquire users and grow market share. Then when they've run all domestic companies out of business, they will raise prices.

[deleted]

Re: Congress is going to throw the kitchen sink at big tech

#320

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Grocery retail is much more complicated. They may charge shelf space rent.

They take on the vast majority of the inventory risk, which is the fundamental detail everyone seems to miss. They own what they sell. The complications come from trying to manage that risk - manufacturers who have better products or marketing can afford to pay for prime shelf space which also means it'll move faster.

What is the difference between selling something on consignment and getting a rebate when the product fails to sell, or only getting paid for those units that do sell? Whatever distinction there is, I don't find it to be a meaningful one.
Post reply on HN