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Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

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Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#81

Post by _delirium »

Ixiaus wrote: post #75
abraininavat wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One could argue that the system is currently set up to benefit executives (who often end up winning, regardless of whether the company loses) at the expense of shareholders and/or the general public. One could argue that this is a problem that market forces can't fix, and therefore that a regulatory solution is called for. One might refer to this sort of regulation as "taking back" the unfair advantages the executive…

Now why should it be any different? There are a few companies experimenting with different hierarchies, hierarchy-less, and different role/position value assignments (tied somewhat with hierarchy), but in general I think pitch-forking the "1%" is just the "herd entitlement". If you're on the bottom and don't like it, then get on top; this day and age that is actually possible . In history prior, you had to be born in…

Income mobility is actually lower in the USA than in Europe, fwiw, and most startups are founded by people from middle-class or better families. Part of the reason is that the free education is, especially in poorer areas, not great: high-school computer curricula are in a sad state. Another part of the reason is that people with a family safety net find it easier to start companies. A third is that family connections help, whether it's for "friends & family" rounds of funding, or for product introductions (see: Bill Gates).

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#82

Post by IAmAI343 »

ianstallings wrote: post #68
tlb wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not even trying. Edit: no, that's too mean. But I like people who take risks, and I get defensive when people snicker at failure from their armchairs of hindsight. We should learn from failures, but not rush to say, "he failed, what an idiot!"

I'm curious how you know so much about me. How do you know what I've done? I've already started my own companies bud and sold them, twice. I'm working on my third now after just building a startup with some others called Brabble. Here it is: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brabble/id570281083?mt=8 To the post below: BKRGB which was an signage platform and ShaiSoft, which sold networking library software. The rest of…

Since you brought it up, which companies are those? Otherwise It just seems like you are making it up to make yourself look better.

By the way, I've also made iOs apps that barely get any ratings.

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#83

Post by tomovo »

ksk wrote: post #52
der3k wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Start your own company then and set an example instead of criticizing others. Edit: Thanks for all the upvotes/support. To those who see this as legitimate criticism, really? The OP elaborated on nothing - no constructive criticisms were made. Instead, it just sounds like pure anger and naïveté on my end, alluding to all entrepreneurs trying to make it/who have made it as "leeches" and "near-sighted execs" that have…

So you need to start your own restaurant before complaining about food?

The price, maybe. Food - not.

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#84

Post by ianstallings »

jgross206 wrote: post #29
pkfrank wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it not legitimate to call out piss-poor management and cronyism without also "setting an example?" Does this mean that only people at the helm of $1b+ companies are able to criticize Zynga's pathetic ineptitude? Not sure what your aggressive reply accomplishes; at least OP has sparked discussion to point out a major flaw and source of Zynga's downfall.

Talk is cheap. It's very, very easy to criticize from afar when you have no skin in the game. So, that type of criticism holds very little weight.

You're right talk is cheap. Here's my latest startup I just built with 5 others:

http://www.brabble.com/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brabble/id570281083?mt=8

Edited: 5 others. Forgot the Angel.

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#85

Post by fennecfoxen »

abraininavat wrote: post #59
Ixiaus wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There isn't anything to "take back" - other than Government sponsored monopolies or price ceilings/floors, the market is OPEN to you! There are many competent people building amazing companies, incompetent people getting paid well, competent people getting paid badly, competent people making lots of money and being fair with their employees. This (corporate) world is less black and white than you're making it out to…

One could argue that the system is currently set up to benefit executives (who often end up winning, regardless of whether the company loses) at the expense of shareholders and/or the general public. One could argue that this is a problem that market forces can't fix, and therefore that a regulatory solution is called for. One might refer to this sort of regulation as "taking back" the unfair advantages the executive…

Yeah, you're right: the problem of executives getting paid too much? Investor problem. The problem of stupid programmers getting paid too much? Investor problem. Can regulation solve it? I doubt it. When we get down to it, it's not like there isn't an abundance of regulation on companies going public and releasing projections anyway.

But as a programmer, it's easy to avoid: Avoid buying into risky IPOs. Whee.

Are you a good programmer contesting that the system as-is reduces your pay or your options for meaningful employment with fair pay? I doubt it. If anything it makes it harder for "good" places, which would like to employ you meaningfully at a fair value, to hire anyone-else, increasing your odds.

Now, if you're a good place who wants to hire good programmers and these stupid places compete with you raising your costs, that's another matter, and it really must stink for you... but it still sounds pretty implausible to regulate this problem away. If investors are going to be stupid about throwing around their money at the wrong companies, I expect government bureaucrats to be exactly as stupid about trying to hammer down the wrong companies, and now you've just made the whole process of being a company more risky and capricious for everyone.

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#86

Post by namdnay »

Ixiaus wrote: post #75
abraininavat wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One could argue that the system is currently set up to benefit executives (who often end up winning, regardless of whether the company loses) at the expense of shareholders and/or the general public. One could argue that this is a problem that market forces can't fix, and therefore that a regulatory solution is called for. One might refer to this sort of regulation as "taking back" the unfair advantages the executive…

Now why should it be any different? There are a few companies experimenting with different hierarchies, hierarchy-less, and different role/position value assignments (tied somewhat with hierarchy), but in general I think pitch-forking the "1%" is just the "herd entitlement". If you're on the bottom and don't like it, then get on top; this day and age that is actually possible . In history prior, you had to be born in…

Following your reasoning, there is no reason to criticise any entitlments. "MEPs have huge salaries?" "Mayors are giving social housing to their families?" "Government Railway employees get gold-plated pensions?": "Stop complaining! Just become one of them!"

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#87

Post by ksk »

jgross206 wrote: post #29
pkfrank wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it not legitimate to call out piss-poor management and cronyism without also "setting an example?" Does this mean that only people at the helm of $1b+ companies are able to criticize Zynga's pathetic ineptitude? Not sure what your aggressive reply accomplishes; at least OP has sparked discussion to point out a major flaw and source of Zynga's downfall.

Talk is cheap. It's very, very easy to criticize from afar when you have no skin in the game. So, that type of criticism holds very little weight.

>It's very, very easy to criticize from afar when you have no skin in the game.

neither do the execs, if they get paid anyway. (which was the point)

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#88

Post by Ixiaus »

[deleted] wrote: post #79
Ixiaus wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Criticizing it is totally okay. What the OP said though was much more than "constructive analytical criticism" - there was a lot of emotion and ambiguous assumptions built into his statement that make very little sense.

[deleted]

Not saying you have to be a robot (I've been emotional about all of my comments in this thread), but there is a point at which emotional logic in an argument clouds the true purpose of the argument.

In this case, the purpose was to criticize the company and its leadership - there's nothing wrong with that, but mapping a projected idea of "unfairness" into the criticism (unless unfairness actually HAPPENED to you within the context of the subject being criticized) then you're clouding the soundness of the criticism.

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#89

Post by [deleted] »

ianstallings wrote: post #68
tlb wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not even trying. Edit: no, that's too mean. But I like people who take risks, and I get defensive when people snicker at failure from their armchairs of hindsight. We should learn from failures, but not rush to say, "he failed, what an idiot!"

I'm curious how you know so much about me. How do you know what I've done? I've already started my own companies bud and sold them, twice. I'm working on my third now after just building a startup with some others called Brabble. Here it is: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brabble/id570281083?mt=8 To the post below: BKRGB which was an signage platform and ShaiSoft, which sold networking library software. The rest of…

[deleted]

Re: Zynga Shuts Down OMGPOP One Year After Acquiring It For $200M

#90

Post by baddox »

abraininavat wrote: post #59
Ixiaus wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There isn't anything to "take back" - other than Government sponsored monopolies or price ceilings/floors, the market is OPEN to you! There are many competent people building amazing companies, incompetent people getting paid well, competent people getting paid badly, competent people making lots of money and being fair with their employees. This (corporate) world is less black and white than you're making it out to…

One could argue that the system is currently set up to benefit executives (who often end up winning, regardless of whether the company loses) at the expense of shareholders and/or the general public. One could argue that this is a problem that market forces can't fix, and therefore that a regulatory solution is called for. One might refer to this sort of regulation as "taking back" the unfair advantages the executive…

One might also argue that a "regulatory solution" will inevitably make things even worse than the market forces it tries to correct.
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