[marcinzm]

>Any number of SaaS startups that have survived to at least moderate success have done similar things.

Google is not a startup, it is one of the largest companies on the planet.

[bartread]

I don't see how that's relevant: my point is that it's a tactic employed by a wide range of businesses including but not limited to startups and we shouldn't be surprised to see it here. It's not a pattern that has suddenly emerged.