> For context, this is the startup that has been using Matt Damon as it’s face.
They're also notable lately for getting the naming rights to the (former) Staples Center.
They're also notable lately for getting the naming rights to the (former) Staples Center.
I mostly agree on the gambling front too - gambling was bad enough when you had to lure people to a casino but at least that gave them the excuse of "It's my form of entertainment, it's like going to a nightclub."
"The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads" -- not any more! Now they're trying to find the shortest distance between users' wallets and their RSUs. On the plus side, they can use all of the targeting and persuasion techniques that have been used to make TikTok/Instagram so addictive on directly separating users from their money. Forget selling a product!
For some historic context, Enron Field lasted two seasons and CMGI Field less than one, from what I can tell? I wonder who holds the record.
Since about 2018, VC game changed - now it's about brazenly placing massive bets on a small set of startups of increasingly questionable utility, using the funds and clout to ram their way through into monopoly positions. Not a speck of morality involved anymore - and nobody is even trying to pretend otherwise
Public image hasn't yet caught up with this reality
I think "everybody" here is a pretty substantial overstatement. Plenty of folks were just trying to make money, without much regard for whether it made the world better or worse.
have you actually met any VCs?
I doubt it's very cheap to advertise in F1. You need to outbid large competitors.