[briandear]

And that’s exactly why they’re billionaires and you probably aren’t. It isn’t about functionality, it’s about ease of use. It’s the same argument used when MS-DOS was being replaced by the GUI.

Explain FTP to your Aunt Edna. Get FTP working where everything on all devices is in sync automatically. Comment on a file via FTP. Send a link to a file they can consume on a mobile device — including playing audio or video without downloading the file. Create access lists for folders.

Sure you could do it using FTP. Now do it cheaply at scale and make it work everywhere and then convince your non tech friends to use it.

Why bother with GPS when we could all use a map and compass? Dropbox made file syncing accessible to everyone cheaply and securely.

[blub]

Oh boy, someone believes in the startup myth.

A massive part of the success of such startups are connections, connections, connections.

The product itself doesn't matter that much, considering all the pivoting. Nor does making a profit, considering all the startups still burning VC money.

Yes, there is certainly an amount of skill necessary, but the scrappy startup that suceeds against all odds is a fairytale. Luck, connections and moral flexibility play an equally or more important part.

[Angostura]

Except of course, that heard about DRopbox when it first launched, tried the free plan, thought 'this is a really cool product' and introduced it to all my friends. Dropbox hasn't pivoted much, and I knew nothing about their connections.

It was a scrappy start up with a good product.

[berbec]

That is a genius reply. This should be what people think every time they say no to a new idea with "put isn't this just xxxx, but a little simpler?". A little simpler can be very broad and Dropbox has done just what the founder envisioned - made a web-based flash drive.

[amorphid]

I was joking to myself earlier today that "All you gotta do is..." is an alias for "I have not thought about it, and I'm encouraging you to do the same."