Ask HN: Why Google is a poster startup, and not Amazon? Hello! Many YC school videos casually mention Google as a great example of a successful startup, and how investors are looking for "the next Google". But I've never seen Amazon mentioned in the same context. Why? Both companies are about the same age, about the same size now, etc... |
Of course, by undercutting its competitors to lure in buyers, then giving away big discounts to sellers for using their platform, they became sufficiently dominant that when they pulled the rug, both sides were more-or-less stuck with Amazon's monopoly.
It is the information based foundations of Google (and Facebook for that matter) that appeals to computer and software entrepreneurs. Shipping only bits and no atoms.