| ▲ | jmyeet 5 hours ago | |
Unfortunately it's doomed as soon as you read "startup". Why? There are two possible outcomes: 1. This fails, goes away and we're back where we started; or 2. They take the bag and sell to John Deere, who then locks down the tractors in the same way to force you to buy support, official parts and so on. And that'll happen. It's a bait-and-switch so somebody can get rich. The only solution to this is collective ownership or some other non-profit structure so a handful of owners can't sell out and cash in. Look to Spain's Mondragon Corporation [1] for inspiration. [1]: https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/how-mondragon-be... | ||
| ▲ | rossjudson an hour ago | parent [-] | |
third outcome: 3. JD buys them, competition works, others notice they can just "build a tractor that's simple", and suddenly there are more competitors to choose from. JD still can't compete, and can't buy them all...or operate on small margins. | ||