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

Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 66 posts

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#11

Post by bogomipz »

randall wrote: post #7
sgslo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately there seems to be high incentive and little downside to claim 'we will not sell easy'. You get the upside adoption by any customer concerned with longevity, and when you decide to fold for pennies you write a blog post about your incredible journey. I get it. You get tired of a product, it doesn't do as well as you hope, but you still want to get acquihired and make sure your hardworking engineers don't…

The product isn't going anywhere for our customers. That's a big reason we did the deal.

There were likely people at Parse who thought similarly at the time of their acquisition:

https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/28/facebook-shutters-its-pars...

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#12

Post by swampthing »

Before he started Vidpresso, Randall was helping out my YC batch with feedback on their demo day pitches. It wasn't his job - he was just being helpful. The nicest guy you'd ever meet.

Props to Randall on all the hard work building Vidpresso over the years - and congrats on the exit!

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#13

Post by spacehome »

sgslo wrote: post #3
tdumitrescu wrote: post #2

> By 2016, it was telling hiring prospects that it was profitable, but also that, “We will not be selling the company unless some insane whatsapp like thing happened. We’re building a forever biz, not a flip.” So either Vidpresso lowered its bar for an exit or Facebook made coming aboard worth its while.

Unfortunately there seems to be high incentive and little downside to claim 'we will not sell easy'. You get the upside adoption by any customer concerned with longevity, and when you decide to fold for pennies you write a blog post about your incredible journey. I get it. You get tired of a product, it doesn't do as well as you hope, but you still want to get acquihired and make sure your hardworking engineers don't…

It's a negotiating tactic, too. If you tell people you'll sell cheap, you will have a hard time selling for top dollar.

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#14

Post by benatkin »

randall wrote: post #7
sgslo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately there seems to be high incentive and little downside to claim 'we will not sell easy'. You get the upside adoption by any customer concerned with longevity, and when you decide to fold for pennies you write a blog post about your incredible journey. I get it. You get tired of a product, it doesn't do as well as you hope, but you still want to get acquihired and make sure your hardworking engineers don't…

The product isn't going anywhere for our customers. That's a big reason we did the deal.

Fool me once, fool me can't get fooled again.

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#15

Post by pavlov »

aphextron wrote: post #8

Probably the only way they can hire decent talent anymore.

I’ve joined Facebook today as part of the Vidpresso team. The opportunity to build something that can reach a large group of users is attractive: basically everything I’ve worked on for the past 15 years has been very niche.

As long as the SV giants have that global scale and keep demonstrating that they value engineers, I don’t think they’ll have trouble hiring.

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#16

Post by Ibethewalrus »

throwabay wrote: post #5

Yet another example that if people want to put their money where their mouth is w.r.t not being bought out, only trust a not for profit organization.

Care to expand? Are there companies doing business while being a non-profit? I’m interested in starting a business but as a way to help a charity or foundation of some aspects close to my heart.

Edit: thought about St. Jude’s hospital but it depends on donations.

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#18

Post by halfjoking »

randall wrote: post #7
sgslo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately there seems to be high incentive and little downside to claim 'we will not sell easy'. You get the upside adoption by any customer concerned with longevity, and when you decide to fold for pennies you write a blog post about your incredible journey. I get it. You get tired of a product, it doesn't do as well as you hope, but you still want to get acquihired and make sure your hardworking engineers don't…

The product isn't going anywhere for our customers. That's a big reason we did the deal.

Glad you got that in writing because most founders forget that part and think that even if Facebook's management changes they'll still honor their promise. Good thing you're not that guy.

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#19

Post by conception »

Ibethewalrus wrote: post #16
throwabay wrote: post #5

Yet another example that if people want to put their money where their mouth is w.r.t not being bought out, only trust a not for profit organization.

Care to expand? Are there companies doing business while being a non-profit? I’m interested in starting a business but as a way to help a charity or foundation of some aspects close to my heart. Edit: thought about St. Jude’s hospital but it depends on donations.

You can have a social good corporation or a not-for-profit business and still make tremendous amounts of money. It just means it's not your goal as a business.

Re: Facebook buys Vidpresso's (YC W14) team and tech to make video interactive

#20

Post by austenallred »

RangerScience wrote: post #10
randall wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The product isn't going anywhere for our customers. That's a big reason we did the deal.

What does it mean by "bough the talent and the tech, but not the company"?

I think that's a poorly-worded way to say "the product will be built into facebook itself"
Post reply on HN