Companies Circling The Drain: What about Chapter Elevenses?

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > Companies Circling The Drain: What about Chapter Elevenses?

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nonathlon: Jul 9, 2004; And yet, somehow, now it's my fault ...

ultrafilter posted:

Inside the all-hands meeting that led to a third of Basecamp employees quitting

I'm not quoting any of this because you really need to read the whole thing.

Ending with

quote:

Another employee said they had been thrown by the fact that the founders, after years of telling employees that they were part of an elite chosen few who were good enough to work at Basecamp, would get rid of them so easily.

“They just want to build cool poo poo all day,” the employee said. “They don’t want to deal with people, which is something you have to do as a manager … Jason and David just threw us away.”

So much in here. Snowing the employees with how amazing they are until you have to get rid of them. Techbros just wanting to be about the technology. Not wanting to manage. Basecamp / 37Signals being one of those places that was all about breaking the rules and telling everyone else how amazing they were.

Extra layer is that DHH was one of the founding figures in Ruby on Rails, and even then there was this odd thing that he was technically mediocre, but held up as a visionary figure. Which may have played into RoR being so crazily uneven and putting so much stock in how revolutionary it was.

# ? May 4, 2021 15:24

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 14:39

Krispy Wafer: Jul 26, 2002; I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat; Grimey Drawer

I like the part where the founders have written 5 books on successfully managing employees. I mean, not their own employees.

Where do you find the time to manage when you�re busy writing books about managing.

# ? May 4, 2021 18:08

Silly Burrito: Nov 27, 2007

Those who can, do.

Those who can't write many books about how you should do things their way.

# ? May 4, 2021 18:26

Pope Corky the IX: Dec 18, 2006; What are you looking at?

Sort of like Andrew Cuomo writing a book in the middle of the pandemic about how well he handled the pandemic while he was actively hiding reports of hundreds of nursing home deaths.

# ? May 4, 2021 18:33

Stexils: Jun 5, 2008

Silly Burrito posted:

Those who can, do.

Those who can't write many books about how you should do things their way.

the guy who wrote hollywood book "save the cat" about The Rules for screenplays only ever made two terrible films, neither of which you've ever heard of: stop! or my mom will shoot, and blank check

# ? May 4, 2021 20:38

Bloopsy: Jun 1, 2006; you have been visited by the Tasty Garlic Bread. you will be blessed by having good Garlic Bread in your life time, but only if you comment "ty garlic bread" in the thread below

Stexils posted:

the guy who wrote hollywood book "save the cat" about The Rules for screenplays only ever made two terrible films, neither of which you've ever heard of: stop! or my mom will shoot, and blank check

Speak for yourself, pal. Not only have I seen the Estelle Getty vehicle Stop or My Mom Will Shoot as late as last summer, I actually saw Blank Check in the theatre. Masterpieces...both of them!

# ? May 4, 2021 20:46

MarcusSA: Sep 23, 2007

Bloopsy posted:

Speak for yourself, pal. Not only have I seen the Estelle Getty vehicle Stop or My Mom Will Shoot as late as last summer, I actually saw Blank Check in the theatre. Masterpieces...both of them!

I saw Stop or my mom will shoot in the theaters when I was a kid.

No regrets.

# ? May 4, 2021 20:48

nonathlon: Jul 9, 2004; And yet, somehow, now it's my fault ...

Krispy Wafer posted:

I like the part where the founders have written 5 books on successfully managing employees. I mean, not their own employees.

Where do you find the time to manage when you’re busy writing books about managing.

Or like those CEOs who write books about their business strategy, when actually it's all down to survivorship bias

# ? May 4, 2021 21:06

Krispy Wafer: Jul 26, 2002; I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat; Grimey Drawer

nonathlon posted:

Or like those CEOs who write books about their business strategy, when actually it's all down to survivorship bias

Most of the time the strategies aren�t even that successful long term. Jack Welch was considered a business genius, but GE almost went bankrupt 6 years after he stepped down because his playbook couldn�t handle a big economic shock.

# ? May 4, 2021 21:17

FilthyImp: Sep 30, 2002; Anime Deviant

nonathlon posted:

Or like those CEOs who write books about their business strategy, when actually it's all down to survivorship bias

# ? May 4, 2021 21:47

Raldikuk: Apr 7, 2006; I'm bad with money and I want that meatball!

Krispy Wafer posted:

Most of the time the strategies aren’t even that successful long term. Jack Welch was considered a business genius, but GE almost went bankrupt 6 years after he stepped down because his playbook couldn’t handle a big economic shock.

And yet he's still held up as a business genius in b school

# ? May 4, 2021 21:51

Rick: Feb 23, 2004; When I was 17, my father was so stupid, I didn't want to be seen with him in public. When I was 24, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just 7 years.

Stexils posted:

the guy who wrote hollywood book "save the cat" about The Rules for screenplays only ever made two terrible films, neither of which you've ever heard of: stop! or my mom will shoot, and blank check

This is an extreme dunk on 80s kids.

# ? May 4, 2021 22:40

Silly Burrito: Nov 27, 2007

I worked at a video store (REMEMBER THEM), I have seen my share of lovely movies. :colbert:

# ? May 4, 2021 22:47

Groovelord Neato: Dec 6, 2014

How the hell do you write five books about management. I figure one with future editions would suffice.

# ? May 4, 2021 23:14

divabot: Jun 17, 2015; A polite little mouse!

ultrafilter posted:

https://twitter.com/davidgerard/status/1388554817862348800

This is honestly a pretty good summary of what happened as far as I can tell.

today was the news article where it turned out the "politics" was the alt-right C-level who spammed internal channels with Breitbart and told the black guy in the all-hands meeting NO YOU'RE THE RACIST

and the co-founder backed him

then a third of the company said "gently caress this" and left

owning those libs, it's a calling

Basecamp, formerly 1488Signals

# ? May 5, 2021 00:10

Krispy Wafer: Jul 26, 2002; I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat; Grimey Drawer

Raldikuk posted:

And yet he's still held up as a business genius in b school

I think his main thing was getting out of any business where GE wasn�t number 1 or number 2. So GE divested itself from a ton of stuff like home appliances and NBC.

It works great when your primary products are making tons of money and your secondary products are making tons of money as you sell them off. Not great when the turbine and aircraft engine businesses hit a worldwide recession.

Welch�s ideas will make you a millionaire. The key is starting off as a billionaire.

# ? May 5, 2021 20:12

Anora: Feb 16, 2014; I fuckin suck!🪠

Possible incoming circle:

https://twitter.com/laurenthomas/status/1389946008734511108

# ? May 5, 2021 20:26

MarcusSA: Sep 23, 2007

Anora posted:

Possible incoming circle:

https://twitter.com/laurenthomas/status/1389946008734511108

I�ve mentioned this before but peloton was saved by COVID. They were not doing well before this poo poo started up.

# ? May 5, 2021 20:27

Cactus Ghost: Dec 20, 2003; you can actually inflate your scrote pretty safely with sterile saline, syringes, needles, and aseptic technique. its a niche kink iirc

the saline just slowly gets absorbed into your blood but in the meantime you got a big round smooth distended nutsack

MarcusSA posted:

I�ve mentioned this before but peloton was saved by COVID. They were not doing well before this poo poo started up.

yeah this really was the perfect storm for them. millions of office workers working from home

# ? May 5, 2021 20:48

FlamingLiberal: Jan 18, 2009; Would you like to play a game?

MarcusSA posted:

I�ve mentioned this before but peloton was saved by COVID. They were not doing well before this poo poo started up.

No kidding, those things are insanely expensive and they will probably go under again once the average person feels like risking a gym trip

# ? May 5, 2021 23:43

ddiddles: Oct 21, 2008; Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic and so am I

The only thing I know about peleton is when I see their ad and the lady on their bike screen says "You crushed this Peleton!" and I cant tell if thats the name of the workout, or they call people who buy their poo poo "Pelentons".

Either way I screamed and retreated into the woods.

# ? May 6, 2021 00:23

ReidRansom: Oct 25, 2004

I have a Bike+ :sweatdrop:

I super hosed my ankle up last year in a nasty sprain that still hasn't healed fully almost a year on, so I couldn't go out jogging anymore. The bike is nice.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:04

MarcusSA: Sep 23, 2007

FlamingLiberal posted:

No kidding, those things are insanely expensive and they will probably go under again once the average person feels like risking a gym trip

It�s not even that the equipment is expensive the �subscription fee� is nearly what most people fuckin pay for a gym anyway!

5k (or whatever) for the bike and like $50 a month just to use the drat thing.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:06

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

MarcusSA posted:

It�s not even that the equipment is expensive the �subscription fee� is nearly what most people fuckin pay for a gym anyway!

5k (or whatever) for the bike and like $50 a month just to use the drat thing.

I�m a wimpy dude (hence why I post here) and I signed up for Apple�s fitness thing. I actually use it, I can see home fitness having a second big thing (I assume Richard simmonds was the first wave).

That said, Apple fitness is , at most $10 a month.

Peloton�s prices are def insane for what is I guess a good work at home coach product , but yeah it�s pretty expensive.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:14

Haifisch: Nov 13, 2010; Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!; Taco Defender

Looking into it, the Peloton site really wants you to think that the membership is required to use the bike at all(and you are required to have one when you buy it, though you can (supposedly) cancel at any time), but you can use your bike just fine without it:

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/peloton-review-what-to-know-before-you-buy/ posted:

Many people, however, are likely to be turned off by the Peloton Bike�s significant up-front cost and ongoing expense. Once you purchase the Bike itself, you need to keep paying a $39 monthly subscription fee, or you�re left with just three classes and a free-ride mode that displays only real-time data on the screen, with no leaderboard-inspired competition or any record of your efforts.

Of course, at that point you might as well buy a cheaper bike that isn't all-in on being ~connected~. Play exercise videos on your own device if you really miss that aspect. (and it'd probably pay off since you're not suspectible to stuff like, say, having to buy new screens when Peloton decides you have to)

Haifisch has a new favorite as of 02:32 on May 6, 2021

# ? May 6, 2021 02:30

WithoutTheFezOn: Aug 28, 2005; Oh no

MarcusSA posted:

5k (or whatever) for the bike and like $50 a month just to use the drat thing.

The bikes are $1895 and there�s a lower app sub that lets you do everything but a couple things (like let a live trainer change your bike's resistance) for $13/mo. The regular sub is $40/mo, and it�s a family sub.

Still pretty expensive, but you�re exaggerating just a wee bit.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:33

Biplane: Jul 18, 2005

WithoutTheFezOn posted:

The bikes are $1895 and there’s a lower app sub that lets you do everything but a couple things (like let a live trainer change your bike's resistance) for $13/mo. The regular sub is $40/mo, and it’s a family sub.

Still pretty expensive, but you’re exaggerating just a wee bit.

thank god you're here to set the record straight

# ? May 6, 2021 02:44

Turbinosamente: May 29, 2013; Lights on, Lights off

Home fitness must be having a wave again covid related or not, because I keep seeing ads for this kinda creepy home gym mirror that reminds me of 1984.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:44

UCS Hellmaker: Mar 29, 2008; Toilet Rascal

Krispy Wafer posted:

I think his main thing was getting out of any business where GE wasn’t number 1 or number 2. So GE divested itself from a ton of stuff like home appliances and NBC.

It works great when your primary products are making tons of money and your secondary products are making tons of money as you sell them off. Not great when the turbine and aircraft engine businesses hit a worldwide recession.

Welch’s ideas will make you a millionaire. The key is starting off as a billionaire.

Actually turbine and aircraft stuff was more one of the people in charge making billions of dollars of extra product wanting to make it appear the company was making tons of money and anticipation of new markets that didn't exist. He was in the running for ceo of ge and basically wanted power to appear to be in great shape.

There's a reason why suddenly at the tail end of 2017 ge took a massive nose dive, and the entirety of power management was laid off or fired.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:46

Stexils: Jun 5, 2008

Turbinosamente posted:

Home fitness must be having a wave again covid related or not, because I keep seeing ads for this kinda creepy home gym mirror that reminds me of 1984.

you're imagining things.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:50

MarcusSA: Sep 23, 2007

WithoutTheFezOn posted:

The bikes are $1895 and there�s a lower app sub that lets you do everything but a couple things (like let a live trainer change your bike's resistance) for $13/mo. The regular sub is $40/mo, and it�s a family sub.

Still pretty expensive, but you�re exaggerating just a wee bit.

Ok yeah I�ll take the hit on the bike price but! I know at least 5 people with one of of them and they all pay the $40 and I kinda doubt they even know about that $13 price.

# ? May 6, 2021 02:54

Silly Burrito: Nov 27, 2007

Haifisch posted:

Looking into it, the Peloton site really wants you to think that the membership is required to use the bike at all(and you are required to have one when you buy it, though you can (supposedly) cancel at any time), but you can use your bike just fine without it:

Of course, at that point you might as well buy a cheaper bike that isn't all-in on being ~connected~. Play exercise videos on your own device if you really miss that aspect. (and it'd probably pay off since you're not suspectible to stuff like, say, having to buy new screens when Peloton decides you have to)

Exercise bike - $200
iPad - $329
Duct Tape - $5

I think I have a new idea for a product!

# ? May 6, 2021 02:59

Phy: Jun 27, 2008; Fun Shoe

in the vein of goods-as-a-service/internet of things tomfuckery, this made it into Cycle Asylum earlier this week:

https://jalopnik.com/this-dystopian-biker-airbag-crash-vest-only-saves-your-1846823791

It's an airbag vest for motorcyclists. You can pay $12/mo or $120/year (or a $400 one-time fee) to activate it, and if you forget to, or your cell service is poo poo, or you forget to charge it, uh, oops, guess it doesn't airbag when you need it

This is on top of $400 for the equipment alone.

Or, you can buy a vest from a different company that costs $650 and just activates by a tether to your bike! It won't help so much if you go down and slide next to the bike, but if that happens there's a good chance you wouldn't have needed the airbag, and the company can't revoke a tether.

(I guess this isn't really a "companies circling the drain" event, because Klim aren't going anywhere any time soon. They make decent if expensive motorcycle gear otherwise, especially for the BMW and KTM-riding "adventure bike" set, it's just, this is bullshit)

# ? May 6, 2021 03:19

Raldikuk: Apr 7, 2006; I'm bad with money and I want that meatball!

UCS Hellmaker posted:

Actually turbine and aircraft stuff was more one of the people in charge making billions of dollars of extra product wanting to make it appear the company was making tons of money and anticipation of new markets that didn't exist. He was in the running for ceo of ge and basically wanted power to appear to be in great shape.

There's a reason why suddenly at the tail end of 2017 ge took a massive nose dive, and the entirety of power management was laid off or fired.

The GE Capital shenanigans also doesn't help... really they've been a complete disaster and are a great example of why a lot of modern business ideas are dogshit. I don't see much admission of that in the business literature though.

# ? May 6, 2021 03:44

Krispy Wafer: Jul 26, 2002; I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat; Grimey Drawer

Peloton has other exercise stuff like yoga also. It�s not all exercise bikes. No, I don�t have one. My sister tried to get me to use her account for yoga, but if I�m going to slack off and not exercise, I�ll do it with the Fitness+ account I�m already paying for.

# ? May 6, 2021 05:05

Franco Caution: Jul 18, 2003; Wicked. Tricksy. False.

WithoutTheFezOn posted:

Still pretty expensive, but you’re exaggerating just a wee bit.

One of the treadmills on their page that is/was capable of eating a small child shows the following:

"Starting at $4,295"

I'm sure they make a cheaper bike, but that's the exception not the rule. They mostly make extremely overpriced poo poo, and took way too long admitting that their equipment can gobble up small animals and children.

# ? May 6, 2021 06:00

Ugly In The Morning: Jul 1, 2010; Pillbug

My boss at my last job had three peloton bikes, one for him at home, one for his wife at home, and one for wherever he was staying for work. It was possibly the most extra thing I�ve ever heard of. I don�t usually describe things as �extra� but it�s the only thing I can think of that even comes close to describing what was going on.

# ? May 6, 2021 06:08

Mustached Demon: Nov 12, 2016

Pretty sure you can get an exercise bike for like $50 or even free at a garage sale or something.

# ? May 6, 2021 07:00

SimonChris: Apr 24, 2008; The Baron's daughter is missing, and you are the man to find her. No problem. With your inexhaustible arsenal of hard-boiled similes, there is nothing you can't handle.; Grimey Drawer

FlamingLiberal posted:

No kidding, those things are insanely expensive and they will probably go under again once the average person feels like risking a gym trip

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/peloton-ceo-says-sales-increased-raised-prices-2245-exercise-bike-132256225.html

The funny thing is that they tried to sell the bike cheaper, but it turns out that people assume expensive exercise equipment must be higher quality.

# ? May 6, 2021 09:01

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 14:39

Rick: Feb 23, 2004; When I was 17, my father was so stupid, I didn't want to be seen with him in public. When I was 24, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just 7 years.

Before the pandemic you could get some resistance pedals for under your desk from Amazon for like $18 (around $40 now).

# ? May 6, 2021 11:19

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