[_o_]

Yeah but what they actually do is removing themself from market place. If I were looking for a startup, I would check for someone banning EU users, with prospective idea and copy what they have done, but GDPR oriented and voila, I am first on the market, slowly taking over the original site bussiness in EU and later the world. EU is a huge marketplace and you really need to be extremly short minded to avoid it due to some stupi legislation, not to mention that as a US cityzen I would abandon any site not going for GDPR compliancy as they are saying to me, between the lines, "we are bastardising my data". Like seeing a laser pointer on your forehead.

[tomatotomato37]

Will that work if noncompliant company is offering its service for FREE* by funding everything selling data and you have to charge/use less valuable static ads? Just having a larger market doesn't automatically make you're product more successful, especially when that larger market needs more mundane localization efforts that the average startup probably won't invest in for a couple years GDPR or not

Plus, blatently ignoring regulation is cheaper in the short term, and if you successfully leverage that advantage into revenue than you can start throwing money at the problem once the regulators finally do get around to prosecuting you.

Worked for Uber.

[disgruntledphd2]

For my money, it hasn't worked for Uber until they start generating bucket-loads of cash.

I do agree with your overall point though.

[newman8r]

People already copy successful startups for international markets all the time, it's just the nature of the business.

[deltron3030]

Only if your audience doesn't give a fuck about originality and community. You can't copy those. Even people in the EU care about who's fake and who's real.