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The issue with all of these major companies will forever be their "product".

--- From: Silicon Valley (HBO)

Jack: Richard, I don't think you understand what the product is. The product isn't the platform, and the product isn't your algorithm, either. And it's not even the software. Do you know what Pied Piper's product is, Richard?

Richard: Is... Is it me?

Jack: Oh God! No! No. How could it possibly be you? You got fired. Pied Piper's product is its stock.

---

When the only product a company cares about its stock, and they only care about their accountability to the shareholders, we will continue to see mass tax evasion schemes and using any/all methodologies (including illegal/unethical) to maximize profits.




This is, unfortunately, very insightful, and also a very unfortunate persistent state of affairs.

I wonder how differently the world would look if companies didn't operate like this.


wtf does this even mean. companies will always care about profitability for their owners. that's the whole point of starting and having a business


How is this the whole point of starting a business? Elon Musk is often quoted as using Tesla as a mean to promote electric transportation. Corporate structures that may never pay dividends to the owners such as gGmbH (gemeinnützige GmbH) exist and get used in practice. There’s a ton of reasons to start a business, shaving off the absolute maximum in profits is just one.


What Elon Musk is doing is called amazing PR and guerilla marketing. I wish it wasn't so but I'm eagerly waiting to be corrected




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