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Startup companies are risky ventures. Mostly because they start with nothing but an idea. They have no supporting infrastructure at all. Most startups can have great ideas - but without a management team that investors believe in it will find startup capital very scarce and hard to come by. Banks and angel investors won't be interested unless they believe in the management team. In fact, 90% of startup companies fail. It's why investing in them is considered very high risk. But that is just the raw numbers - if you have a good sound idea with a solid management team behind it those odds can go significantly down. Star Citizen started out with CR in charge and a desire to prove to investors his idea could be profitable. He used the fundraising campaign as a vehicle to prove his product had a market. But it took an odd turn - where the fundraising actually became the source of startup capital instead of the lever to get more traditional sources of capital. That is how SC got where it is in terms of startup capital for the company. It by no means implies they do not have actual stockholders and investors who own the company - or sources of capital they can tap if they need it. They just don't really need too much of it now from traditional sources. Especially with the ability to generate alternate streams of revenue other than pure game sales (technology, use of their name on other products, etc.). Note I'm staying completely out of the "gamers" viewpoint of the game and sticking to the "business" side of things. Now when a startup company has obtained capital it has to start building it's infrastructures. This is office space - accounting - legal - marketing and sales - human resources - development - and of course support. These all usually go through a lot of gyrations and morphing as humans - make mistakes - they learn - and they adapt - or the company dies. Part of any startup companies painful first few years of growth. Now once the infrastructure described above is actually working and in place - the company can start really becoming productive. This usually takes about 3 years to get to a stable product generation stage past the growing pains. At this point - depending on the complexity of the product - it can take 2-4 years to get it out the door. Thus most startup companies take 5-7 years to become profitable or they have suffered some bad planning or unforeseen setbacks that usually kill the company. In our case here "backers" are not investors in the traditional sense - where they own shares in the company. They own rights to the use of the game and certain assets access within it - but nothing more. If the company goes belly up and sold to repay investors what remains - they will not be first in line for payback. The company would probably go bankrupt and even the European odd laws could not get any money back for backers. I only note this as an example of how backers are not shareholders - which seems a common misconception for some odd reason. That is how generic startup companies life cycles usually go. I've never expected anything different from Star Citizen. Starting in 2012-13 (debatable when they ended funding and started infrastructure build up) I've expected product delivery 2017-2019, regardless of community expectations or the typical startup companies fits, starts, and restarts and the confusion that can entail. In any case, I see a lot of generic statements that come out of CIG that have reflected the usual confusion of a startup growing stage gradually taper off in the last year. But I still see backers taking these statements and messaging them to conform to their desires and wishes of what they "want" and try to convince themselves something has been said that has not been said. Or that they take the normal chaos periods of a startups growth and apply some perfect ideological non-existent business theology where companies make no mistakes while they go through the fits and starts of the growth period. Where the company finds things they thought could work have to be tossed out and started again. Startups have to adapt or die. Star Citizen seems well into the last few years of the startup life cycle where the infrastructure is in place and the product is actually fully being worked on. I see nothing odd in this. Though I do marvel at the life cycle of the backers seemingly to be stuck in "gimme it now you lying bastards" mode. Lying - and finding out something didn't work and you have to adapt - two different things. While there is a never ending supply of backers picking up torches and pitchforks to charge the CIG castle claiming Dr. RobertStein has created some kind of monster, I shall not be joining you till after 2019. Which I have confidence will not be necessary
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 19:38 |
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# ? Jun 6, 2024 07:43 |
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aleksendr posted:- I am more Pious than you are, sir ! Thanks to the vision of Croberts we also have in game player broadcasting. Our fleet of Heralds will make Starfield the biggest show in the 'verse!
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 19:39 |
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Exinos posted:Thanks to the vision of Croberts we also have in game player broadcasting. Our fleet of Heralds will make Starfield the biggest show in the 'verse! Reminder, CIG seriously sold a news ship and people think this is a mechanic that will actually exist.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 19:41 |
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Exinos posted:Reminder, CIG seriously sold a news ship and people think this is a mechanic that will actually exist. Replace news with anything other than combat and it's still just as funny.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 19:42 |
aleksendr posted:- I am more Pious than you are, sir ! I know the perfect opening theme. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1o3koTLWM
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 19:45 |
Tijuana Bibliophile posted:Startup companies are risky ventures. Mostly because they start with nothing but an idea. They have no supporting infrastructure at all. Most startups can have great ideas - but without a management team that investors believe in it will find startup capital very scarce and hard to come by. Banks and angel investors won't be interested unless they believe in the management team. In fact, 90% of startup companies fail. It's why investing in them is considered very high risk. But that is just the raw numbers - if you have a good sound idea with a solid management team behind it those odds can go significantly down. Star Citizen started out with CR in charge and a desire to prove to investors his idea could be profitable. He used the fundraising campaign as a vehicle to prove his product had a market. But it took an odd turn - where the fundraising actually became the source of startup capital instead of the lever to get more traditional sources of capital. I laughed my rear end off at the level of shilling effort that went into this apology post.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 19:47 |
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https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/5shadi/comment/ddf5kpo Round 2
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:02 |
aleksendr posted:Common. You tell me you would not watch a series of shorts about 2 relatively serious admirals trying to herd the cats of the Goorathi Bomber Bros into a semblance of cohesion ? I bet that thing would write itself* Fair enough, but I'm not sure I like the part where I have to be "relatively serious" haha. Inside me beats the heart of a shitposter. Exinos posted:Reminder, CIG seriously sold a news ship and people think this is a mechanic that will actually exist. You know that reminds me - with the Herald being out we've heard CIG talk a number of times about "info-running" but I haven't heard poo poo about how I'm going to make it big in the exciting field of SPACE JOURNALISM in kind of a while. Someone should ask them about that...
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:02 |
WolflarsenSC posted:Stay salty 'Agent'.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:03 |
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DapperDon posted:I laughed my rear end off at the level of shilling effort that went into this apology post. 5/7. I've lost thousands on actual tech investments and to be fair to his argument, some have had great tech and lovely management. CIG has poo poo all the things.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:05 |
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Why noone posted a gif of the disabled fight from south park already ?
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:05 |
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DapperDon posted:I laughed my rear end off at the level of shilling effort that went into this apology post. The comments are 100% undiluted cringe concentrate of idiots congratulating each other on being reasonable and realistic
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:05 |
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Beet Wagon posted:Fair enough, but I'm not sure I like the part where I have to be "relatively serious" haha. Inside me beats the heart of a shitposter. Beer can be the straight man and you can be the mischevious, roguish one. All we need now is a foil and a love interest ! aleksendr fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Feb 9, 2017 |
# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:06 |
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Zzr posted:Why noone posted a gif of the disabled fight from south park already ? Timmy and Jimmy are likeable characters.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:07 |
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Only three more weeks 'til I get me one of these literal babies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42FPUcC8RjM
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:13 |
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Zzr posted:Why noone posted a gif of the disabled fight from south park already ? Hahahahahaha. Two guys shouting at each other about how the other's imaginary news website has no future. Guys, guys, settle down. Why can't you both be right?
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:15 |
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The way this thread currently shows up in the SA app gave me a chuckle this morning.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:21 |
Chalks posted:Hahahahahaha. Two guys shouting at each other about how the other's imaginary news website has no future. I loved the "fuckboy" comment out of left field. That escalated rather quickly.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:42 |
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DapperDon posted:I loved the "fuckboy" comment out of left field. That escalated rather quickly. With his powerful assertion and super effective tactics for undermining his opponents arguments like this I think I shall hire him for his digital online strategist services.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:54 |
Thoatse posted:With his powerful assertion and super effective tactics for undermining his opponents arguments like this I think I shall hire him for his digital online strategist services. You mean you haven't yet? It looks like you are a little behind the curve.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:58 |
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 20:59 |
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Holy gently caress ben put your clothes on
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:01 |
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:02 |
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hahaha, Goons have tricked another innocent victim into giving up their valuable space ships for some worthless ETF fund. What a fool!
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:29 |
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At this stage, Star Citizen has almost certainly issued more refunds than No Man's Sky. At last, Star Citizen is beating one of it's competitors at something other than squeezing idiots for cash.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:35 |
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Xaerael posted:At this stage, Star Citizen has almost certainly issued more refunds than No Man's Sky. At last, Star Citizen is beating one of it's competitors at something other than squeezing idiots for cash. Speaking of which, a $4K+ one. https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen_refunds/comments/5t0e1h/blutackshakur_files_for_a_4000_refund/
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:38 |
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Star Street Crash imminent
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:50 |
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Better load up your wheelbarrows with JPEGs, it's time to buy a bottle of mountain dew
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:51 |
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Maybe we can build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh? https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/5t0m5g/evidently_a_generic_lesson_in_startup_companies/
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:55 |
Bury the jpegs under the shed, there's a crash coming.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:55 |
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:57 |
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 21:59 |
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Haven't read this thread since the end of December, how's sq42 shaping up? Does cig have any employees left?
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:05 |
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Kellanved posted:Haven't read this thread since the end of December, how's sq42 shaping up? I think they've got an equal number of employees and active players
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:09 |
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Beet Wagon posted:Bury the jpegs under the shed, there's a crash coming. Star Citizen is crashing alright, it's been a slow motion car crash in my mind since forever. Investors are the crumple zones of this situation, commandos already buckled up and Derek is in the boot of the car writing in chalk AS I WROTE IN THE OTHER SPOT, THIS VEHICLE IS GOING TO CRASH.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:09 |
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Kellanved posted:Haven't read this thread since the end of December, how's sq42 shaping up? Like an upside down cake that'll never get flipped.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:10 |
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MilesK posted:
More left over for those of us with more staying power. Tijuana Bibliophile posted:I think they've got an equal number of employees and active players I lolled. The sets do not intersect, either.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:15 |
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He was so young once! gently caress, I'm getting old.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:33 |
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In the latest Staff Vs Backers stream of Star Marine the staff are sat watching a screen that says 'waiting for players' - The players never come. A soft applause erupts and the screen fades to black.
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:34 |
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# ? Jun 6, 2024 07:43 |
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lol the citizens are mad Star Citizen: Around the Verse - Ship Pipeline Pt. 1: Concept to greybox https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/5t2mfk/star_citizen_around_the_verse_ship_pipeline_pt_1/ PART 1
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# ? Feb 9, 2017 22:45 |