[samtho]

> […] I was put off by the product due to the now-mandatory paired subscription ($200/yr with purchase, annually paired only, can cancel after) […]

It is both confusing and fascinating how some companies manage to put out a product with a subscription, the existence of which defies logic and consumer expectation, and yet they manage to find a group of people who tolerate it.

[avidiax]

This is the new venture capital model. Everything must be (or come with) a subscription.

It's a way to take an area that has low technological innovation (little reason to buy next year's cooling mattress, which is the same as last year's mattress) and turn it into recurring income.

As a bonus, all the smart features that you bundle into the subscription are also the personal data of people with high disposable income. You can now make money twice.

[spencerchubb]

Not just venture capital. Established businesses too

Investors like recurring revenue because it's simple to understand. You can just slap a multiple on it to figure out the valuation of a business

[TheCleric]

When ARR is the only metric an investor cares about…