Subscriptions. Dependency, not convenience.
You can't just buy things any more. From music to software to the heated seats in your car, you rent them.
THE GIST ON SUBSCRIPTIONS: "Subscription Servitude"
Why is everything a subscription?
Subscriptions turn single sales into predictable cash flow, and investors love predictable cash flow. It started with software as a service: you used to buy Photoshop, now it's Creative Cloud, a monthly bill. Even BMW has experimented with charging a subscription for heated seats.
What changed in how companies think?
From making the product so good people have to buy it, to hooking you in and making it very hard to leave. Subscriptions have crept in as the default for so many products, changing our relationship from owning to renting.
What do we lose?
When everything is a subscription, you never own any tools. You pay for permission to use them, and that permission isn't on your terms. It can be changed, repriced or removed, and there's nothing you can do. That's not convenience. That's dependency.
Would you pay monthly for a feature already in your car?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
Why do companies love subscriptions?
They turn single sales into predictable cash flow, which investors love.
What example does Huw give?
Photoshop moving to Creative Cloud, and BMW experimenting with heated seat subscriptions.
What is the problem?
You pay for permission to use things, and it can be changed, repriced or removed.
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