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WhatsApp introduces ads in its app

(www.nytimes.com)
713 points greenburger | 3 comments | 16 Jun 25 13:38 UTC | HN request time: 0.54s | source
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robertlagrant ◴[16 Jun 25 14:20 UTC] No.44289775[source]▶
> When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, the messaging app had a clear focus. No ads, no games and no gimmicks.

This sort of analysis is very surface-level I think. My impression is WhatsApp offered that by running on VC money and had no plan to run an actual business. That's not a question of focus. It's an unsustainable, please monetise me later land grab.

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1. ASalazarMX ◴[16 Jun 25 14:47 UTC] No.44290094[source]▶
Youtube was the same. Both are products that people really want to use.
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2. timeon ◴[16 Jun 25 15:02 UTC] No.44290277[source]▶
Also Instagram and others. It was about capturing and selling community.
3. robertlagrant ◴[16 Jun 25 15:04 UTC] No.44290289[source]▶
I agree, although that's too vague. YouTube has a different appeal. But my point is more that I wouldn't say YouTube got ads because it stopped having a focus on not having ads. It needs to pay for itself.