Investor pumps 50 million Euro into NI

[fluffy_little_something]

If I earn ten times more - my life will not become ten times better.

There's a wonderful short story from Heinrich Böll (noble prize 1972) named "Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral" which basically means "Story to reduce the motivation to work". It goes like this:

A tourist meets a sleeping fisherman in the harbour somewhere at the coast in Western Europe and asks him about his fishing success for that day. The fisherman replies that he's satisfied. But the tourist can't understand that he does not go on fishing again at that day. He describes how much more he could fish then, and when he does it regularly, he could invest in a second boat, then later on in a third boat and so on. Eventually the fisherman would be become rich and could stay in the harbour and snooze in the sun.

The fisherman replies: "I can do this already."

Yes, there are opposing views of the world, of the purpose of life etc. A lot of people are or pretend to be ambitious, but some simply aren't. At the end of the day it doesn't matter whether or not I was, I will die, anyway. There is no economic goal in life. The world will continue long after humans have traded and consumed themselves into oblivion.

[DrGonzo]

If I earn ten times more - my life will not become ten times better.

There's a wonderful short story from Heinrich Böll (noble prize 1972) named "Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral" which basically means "Story to reduce the motivation to work". It goes like this:

A tourist meets a sleeping fisherman in the harbour somewhere at the coast in Western Europe and asks him about his fishing success for that day. The fisherman replies that he's satisfied. But the tourist can't understand that he does not go on fishing again at that day. He describes how much more he could fish then, and when he does it regularly, he could invest in a second boat, then later on in a third boat and so on. Eventually the fisherman would be become rich and could stay in the harbour and snooze in the sun.

The fisherman replies: "I can do this already."

/C

[Greenstorm33]

I'm suddenly getting a bunch of ads for MASSIVE (even though I already own it!). Could it be a sign of things to come?

[kbaccki]

Who says anything about punishing?! All I say is that I won't give such a big company none of my money, simply because it is that big, regardless of the quality of their products. It is a matter of principle.

So you don't have a bank account? Cuz, you know, they charge you fees and invest your money for their own profits. You don't have a credit card? You don't own a car? Do you use a Mac, by any chance? iPhone? Google Pixel? Samsung TV? I mean, I can keep going. I'm guessing you're just trying to make a point, but I'm also guessing that your argument is full of variously flavored holes. But anyway... you don't like NI, that's fine. I don't like Waves, but not because they're one of the most recognized and successful brands in their market. I just hate that damn shell thing.

[machinesworking]

If even 50 million dollars cannot get Native Instruments to release a new VSTI synth, then I don't know what will.

My guess is NI are going to attempt to wrap a couple subscription services together, an online collaborative DAW that integrates with NI product like Traktor and Maschine, and uploads to NI's own version of Spotify. Same deal for the end user, meager royalties but at least home studio musicians will have a sense that they're making money off of their output. They're going to attempt to offer the customer an end to end experience Apple style, but it's obvious they aren't that great at that...

[lnikj]

I guess similarly but there have been attempts at collaborative DAWs before like OhmStudio. I don't know how successful they have been; my guess is 'not very'.

I would just hope that the investor's (probably failed) investment is ring fenced to this area of operations, and that they won't have any influence over the rest of the company's affairs. If they did then they could go looking to recoup their money elsewhere. The thought of having to pay a subscription to use Reaktor fills me with horror.

[DJ Warmonger]

Well, no integrated services or subscriptions can make me give any money to NI. Only resizable GUI across all Komplete products could

[shonky]

Thing is, that's not what most of the humans are about. And, IMO, it should be about what makes most humans tick.

Anyway, maybe rather a HPC style discussion.

Well, if it's about what makes "most" humans tick, most won't die wishing they spent more time at the office.

[2ZrgE]

If I earn ten times more - my life will not become ten times better.

There's a wonderful short story from Heinrich Böll (noble prize 1972) named "Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral" which basically means "Story to reduce the motivation to work". It goes like this:

A tourist meets a sleeping fisherman in the harbour somewhere at the coast in Western Europe and asks him about his fishing success for that day. The fisherman replies that he's satisfied. But the tourist can't understand that he does not go on fishing again at that day. He describes how much more he could fish then, and when he does it regularly, he could invest in a second boat, then later on in a third boat and so on. Eventually the fisherman would be become rich and could stay in the harbour and snooze in the sun.

The fisherman replies: "I can do this already."

Had to read this story as a pupil.

If you think about it a bit deeper, that person's view and the story's moral is rather dumb.

Of course he can live his life as he wants, but what if when illness strikes, or other accidents. Can he than pay the bills for his family, "snoozing in the sun"? Life is not that simple, unfortunately.

Capitalism is the devil I know, but that story does not really prove anything nor does it show any solutions...

[2ZrgE]

Who says anything about punishing?! All I say is that I won't give such a big company none of my money, simply because it is that big, regardless of the quality of their products. It is a matter of principle.

So you don't have a bank account? Cuz, you know, they charge you fees and invest your money for their own profits. You don't have a credit card? You don't own a car? Do you use a Mac, by any chance? iPhone? Google Pixel? Samsung TV? I mean, I can keep going. I'm guessing you're just trying to make a point, but I'm also guessing that your argument is full of variously flavored holes. But anyway... you don't like NI, that's fine. I don't like Waves, but not because they're one of the most recognized and successful brands in their market. I just hate that damn shell thing.

More interesting: Does he work for a small or a big company? Does he hate the company he works for? Does he work at all?

You cannot take this fluffy guy too seriously, his view are a bit unthought-through mostly...

[ATS]

Well, I think when a company dominates 50% of the audio software market as I read somewhere, then it is too big in my view.

So, everyone who has done a good job, and got a big piece of the market should be punished? Hmmm...

Seriously, we should be happy that a company in this business does THAT well. It's exceptional. Especially when you consider how good NI's service is, at least that's what i experienced.

Who says anything about punishing?! All I say is that I won't give such a big company none of my money, simply because it is that big, regardless of the quality of their products. It is a matter of principle.

what if one of your one man shows become a giant killer and put 1000s out of work because they design something that overtakes the market of the big guys? Would you still support him simply because it is a one man show?

[whyterabbyt]

For those who are interested in numbers: NI claims to control 50% of the audio software market, has 80 mio. Euro in annual sales, 400 employees in Berlin, 65 in the US and a few in China to supervise the production there. Per month they hire 10-15 new employees.

Yamaha's musical instrument sales totalled $2,300 million last year. They probably spent more than 80 million per year on advertising.

50% of the audio software market just means that NI are the least tiny fish in the tiniest corner of the pond.

But hell, it wouldnt be KVR if folk didnt spend all their time complaining bitterly about the people who made it possible for them to have their favourite toys. What a bunch of c**ts, eh?

[AnX]

I dont use any NI products. How will this affect me?

[Aloysius]

You will immediately be put on the terror watch list.

[maschinelf]

Honestly I'd be a lot more concerned about the direction NI are taking if they turned down the 50 mil without a damn good reason.