How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users

Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by julianeon on Sunday May 24, 2020 @07:37PM (#23295963)

Heh, this is the first time I've heard this. Before I was only familiar with the up-from-bootstraps "we just became so popular through a pay button everyone loved" success story.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by nickbauman on Sunday May 24, 2020 @07:46PM (#23296023)

But some many online payment companies had already tried and failed at "traditional" growth. PayPal crossed the chasm by essentially bad faith gamesmanship. Nothing illegal, mind you; but I would consider it highly unethical. Not to mention difficult to stop if you're EBay.

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by mandelbrotwurst on Sunday May 24, 2020 @10:31PM (#23297140)

Why would it have been difficult to stop for eBay, couldn't they have simply removed the PayPal button from their site if they didn't like it?

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Re:How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users by throwawaywrench on Sunday May 24, 2020 @11:43PM (#23297562)

as I read the above PayPal wasnt a button on eBay yet. Just based on the above comments it sounds like initially PayPal staff were doing a bunch of buying and selling on eBay and insisting they they be paid via this thing called 'PayPal'.

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