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Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

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Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#131
post #17

Is it just me or is $40 a month too much for the content they provide? I would spend a couple thousand on fancy exercise equipment, or maybe get one as a gift for my parents but the required subscription gives me rent seeking vibes.

It's a tough sell for me. I pay $40 a month for the whole family at the local rec center with multiple pools, water slides for the kids, an indoor running track and every piece of workout equipment you could want.

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Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#132

I think we’re starting to see a bit of “post pandemic” economic factors and that explains some of the shake up on Wall Street as of late. I always felt this about Peloton more than anything though, that it was not going to be able to sustain growth numbers as the pandemic when either of these came to pass: 1) ended officially 2) waned on to the point that it became "normalized" in how to handle day to day activities…

Zoom will soon follow the rest of the silicon valley companies in finding ways to invest in military technology, use lobbying power to earn big dollar government contracts, and monetize its access to biometric data. Unless it has already done that.

“The beauty of doing nothing is that you can do it perfectly. Only when you do something is it almost impossible to do it without mistakes. Therefore people who are contributing nothing to society, except their constant criticisms, can feel both intellectually and morally superior.”

— Thomas Sowell

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#133
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a lot cheaper than a monthly gym membership, but way more than say, Apple Fitness and others offer. Having not used their software or hardware, I'd assume that for people purchasing a really expensive bike, $40/mo isn't bad. Still...it feels steep.

Waaat? How much is gym membership in the US then if $40 is much cheaper? Edit: Thanks everybody for the explanation. In my head, gym == myself + good ol' iron. It seems that that is cheap in the US as well as in Europe :)

Depends on what you're getting out of the gym membership. If you're just going to the gym, walking on a treadmill and doing curls for a bit, gym memberships can be incredibly cheap.

If you (like my SO) is going to the gym and using multiple provided amenities and training programs, that price can get very pricy very fast because those amenities are usually upcharged.

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#134
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a lot cheaper than a monthly gym membership, but way more than say, Apple Fitness and others offer. Having not used their software or hardware, I'd assume that for people purchasing a really expensive bike, $40/mo isn't bad. Still...it feels steep.

Waaat? How much is gym membership in the US then if $40 is much cheaper? Edit: Thanks everybody for the explanation. In my head, gym == myself + good ol' iron. It seems that that is cheap in the US as well as in Europe :)

Gym memberships range from 10$ to hundreds, but the big thing is the class price. If you want to do classes on bikes/dancing/yoga/whatever, they are usually an absolute minimum of 10$/each, which is what makes the Peloton monthly attractive for people I think

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#135
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've heard the same thing about "Peloton Culture" elsewhere, but not a good explanation of what that culture is. Can a HN Peloton user elaborate?

Take HN's hive mind tech bro culture, and apply it to overpriced classes that are basically a youtube video.

If you have even the tiniest bit of curiosity, there are users, on this very page, describing how it’s much much more than a “YouTube video”.

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#136
post #62

Did Peloton ever have a real business. They were competing with $200 bikes on Amazon and an iPad.

Yeah, that wasn't their business. Their business was an aspirational service with interactive classes and a built-in community, all sold on a turnkey platform.

That's distinct from "just a bike and an iPad."

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#137
post #62

Did Peloton ever have a real business. They were competing with $200 bikes on Amazon and an iPad.

It could be real business serving well off IT professionals like in FAANG+, or a slice of finance/legal/medical professionals. These folks can spend few hundred easily on fitness along with few thousand dollar devices.

But if they want to scale to much larger then as you say they would be competing with 200 dollar bike + ipad.

I'd think that just enticing people who could spend 400 dollars / month might be financially viable then reaching out to masses to justify 40 dollars per month on top of already expensive equipment.

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#138
post #17

Is it just me or is $40 a month too much for the content they provide? I would spend a couple thousand on fancy exercise equipment, or maybe get one as a gift for my parents but the required subscription gives me rent seeking vibes.

The monthly cost on top of the high cost of the bike is why I didnt jump on the bandwagon, er, bicycle in 2020. I probably went to enough cycling classes pre pandemic that I was paying roughly 40 dollars a month in costs anyway but paying for an in person class is a lot different than paying for access to video content.

I would get a bike tomorrow if that cost was $15-$25 a month.

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#139
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those thing need people, and for that size makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is why do all of that themselves, instead of using third party providers. Bringing more things in house often doesn’t even make sense if you’re a huge behemoth. But even then, it’s a great way to make your company fail, as you lose focus on what value you’re providing.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if they do outsource some of those things. For example, they probably use ADP or similar for payroll. And they probably use outside production companies and trainers for their videos. But you still need internal people to manage vendors and deal with problems and people to manage those people. It's a pretty common reaction to scratch your head and wonder what all those people in $DEPART…

I don't question what people in $DEPARTMENT are doing all day. I question why $DEPARTMENT exists at a company that's a single trick pony.

Re: Peloton replaces CEO and lays off 2,800 people

#140
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Europe I haven't come across a business using Zoom instead of Google Meets or MS Teams, or even gathertown as someone else mentioned. Mostly because they already have licenses for Office or G-Suite. Is it a US thing?

>Is it a US thing? Must be. It's become pretty standard across companies I've dealt with. Maybe a 9/10 split with MS/Google.

Personally, I've never been on a Teams call. I'd say it's been about 50% zoom, 50% webex, surprisingly. Fortunately with webex, the invites include a generic SIP address that we can use with our video conferencing equipment.
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