Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

fangdaddy.medium.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 438 posts

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#91

Post by bheadmaster »

cpach wrote: post #74
codeptualize wrote: post #63

I don't mind subscriptions, I actually prefer them for many things. Especially for software I rely on I want the developers to consistently earn money so they keep motivated to work on it, do maintenance and fix bugs. I don't pay for software, I pay for the thing it allows me to do. Me paying a subscription fee creates an incentive and responsibility to keep things working. If there is a backend component to its even…

Indeed. Buying an application is not necessarily like buying a wrench or a shovel.

It should be, though. We have standardized hardware and OS API/ABI.

Is it really reasonable for software industry to drain so much money just because it takes some effort to write a program that won't magically rot in a few years?

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#92

Post by fulvioterzapi »

There are a couple of services I would love to use, but I have a strict no-subscription policy. It just gives me bad vibes, I would rather pay 24 months upfront and have the full application/service.

Of course this does not matter, because the MBAs in charge showed in a PowerPoint presentation that the subscription model will squeeze 11.1% more money for customers, mostly from people who forget to unsubscribe.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#93

Post by neximo64 »

xg15 wrote: post #26
mattjenner wrote: post #21

Dear innovative people: think of a better model. 1. Free = problematic with the lack of money 2. Freemium = looks good if the balance is right 3. Ads = Mostly works but the model is flawed and skewed 4. Subscription = Love/Hate currently trendy but too relied on 5. Pay-what-you-can = Fans provide the service for everyone 6. Premium only = Only what it's worth, when it's worth 7. Enterprise = S'ok because my company/o…

How about good old "pay for it once, then own it"?

If there's no support and no updates. Can't work with web apps unless there's a version restriction/time limit.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#94

Post by danielvaughn »

m2fkxy wrote: post #38
amelius wrote: post #25

Dear governments, I hate that I can't unsubscribe from services without going through the provider's dark-patterns first.

this was just codified into law in the EU. easy online subscription = easy online unsubscription.

Ha, I just commented elsewhere in this thread that it should be written into law. Now we just need it here in the USA.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#96

Post by daveoc64 »

danielvaughn wrote: post #79
codeptualize wrote: post #63

I don't mind subscriptions, I actually prefer them for many things. Especially for software I rely on I want the developers to consistently earn money so they keep motivated to work on it, do maintenance and fix bugs. I don't pay for software, I pay for the thing it allows me to do. Me paying a subscription fee creates an incentive and responsibility to keep things working. If there is a backend component to its even…

It blows my mind that there are people in this thread who think that a business should charge once for a product that requires iteration or continued backend support.

That's how a lot of games work (and have done for decades).

You buy the game once, then get access to online multiplayer servers.

Subscription models encourage constant needless changes to the product.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#97

Post by cptaj »

clement_b wrote: post #89

Yes, subscriptions for everything isn't good for consumers, but, if it was 'easy' to sell software as a one off before the cloud, it's a bit harder now with all the costs associated with cloud features such as everlasting storage, security, sync, compute, you name it. How do you sell something that consumes resources continuously at a one-off cost? SaaS can only work with a continuous revenue stream because the softw…

Yeah, please let me install software. No, I don't need your cloud.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#98

Post by pakitan »

ChildOfChaos wrote: post #50
xg15 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But our businesses are viable as subscription services, and not as one-off or ad-hoc puchase models. Doesn't explain businesses that had been per-purchase for a long time and are now still switching to subscriptions though. (E.g. photoshop, jetbrains...)

Agreed, it's usually nothing to do with the fact they weren't viable before, it's just that subscriptions are more profitable. With cost of living crisis and such, soon enough though it won't be able to last. People are already cancelling one of the biggest main subscriptions they have (netflix). Also I fear this is really changing society. Many years ago, as you got older you got into a better place in life because…

> Also I fear this is really changing society. Many years ago, as you got older you got into a better place in life because you had saved up and bought all the stuff you need and slowly aqquired good equipment and everything you need.

Your grandfather's wheelbarrow didn't need replacing every 2 years but he also didn't have Netflix. You can easily have your grandfather's lifestyle by buying a future-proof wheelbarrow and cancelling your Netflix subscription.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#99

Post by prmoustache »

xg15 wrote: post #52
erfgh wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So don't subscribe to them.

But the whole point of this thread is that everything is moving to subscriptions. So... dont use any service ever then I guess?

That is untrue.

Also you named it: service. Not everything is a service, and not all services are required. While you can't easily avoid insurances, bankings, healthcare, internet/mobile provider you can easily avoid spotify, office365, netflix, evernote or telegram or a gym subscription.

Re: Dear startups: I hate subscription services (2021)

#100

Post by ekianjo »

boffinism wrote: post #4

Dear customers: we know. But our businesses are viable as subscription services, and not as one-off or ad-hoc puchase models. We know because we tried them. So we're catering to the people who are OK with buying a subscription because there are enough of them. Sorry if that doesn't suit you.

Your businesses are only viable as subscription services because they suck. We had software industries long before everyone was starting to ask for a monthly subscription. You are just making the lazy decision to extract the most value from your existing customers with rent building instead of trying to expand to new markets and services.
Post reply on HN