Random Chat, Thoughts, Posts, and/or Rants Thread

[Andy Black]

Quick question for @Andy Black and other people who use Google Ads. Click fraud - is it a big problem, really? How good is Google at detecting and refunding fradulent clicks?

It's not something we normally worry about on Google itself. We saw a lot of it for one client only, and that was a locksmith in the US. In the afternoon Google always refunded the few $K that was spent in the morning.

We don't trust search partners so normally have that turned off.

For the Display Network, we can get a lot of garbage clicks from apps on mobiles, that probably have little kids hitting the ads by accident. Not quite click-fraud, but dubious none-the-less.

We've only just started doing Performance Max campaigns and they're generating a lot of spam leads. How many are paid for we're not sure as we're still figuring out accurate conversion tracking.

 

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[c4n]

Quick question for @Andy Black and other people who use Google Ads. Click fraud - is it a big problem, really? How good is Google at detecting and refunding fradulent clicks?

I don't have nearly as much experience with Google Ads as @Andy Black but just wanted to add they refunded roughly 20% of my 4-figure spend in August due to invalid clicks (search campaign). So they seem to be hunting down click fraud and refunding when it happens.

 

[Two Dog]

The turnaround is strong with this one.

You think? I've been wondering what the over / under would be for just staying in business another twelve months.

Pillaging Tesla to keep Twitter afloat isn't a viable long-term strategy. Unlike all the other businesses, Twitter lives and dies on advertising dollars and marketing execs of of public companies aren't exactly known for their whimsy. It's hard to see them spending anywhere near $4B annually when Twitter starts looking more like Reddit.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

You think? I've been wondering what the over / under would be for just staying in business another twelve months.

Pillaging Tesla to keep Twitter afloat isn't a viable long-term strategy. Unlike all the other businesses, Twitter lives and dies on advertising dollars and marketing execs of of public companies aren't exactly known for their whimsy. It's hard to see them spending anywhere near $4B annually when Twitter starts looking more like Reddit.

Have you seen Twitter's expenses?

Slashing waste alone is enough to make the company far, far more valuable. The company was full of rot and waste.

Might as well have been one nonstop government party for thousands of people with 7 figures spent on lobster dinners.

 

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[Two Dog]

WTF!!!! Lol

https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yswh2z View: https://www.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/comments/yswh2z/the_unfolding_of_sbfs_empire_a_rudderless_ship/

After investing over $200M, Sequoia Capital had a page on their website touting that SBF would be the world's first trillionaire. This the uber connected VC firm that's put money into pretty much every Silicon Valley deal imaginable. Everyone who works there truly believes they're a cross between Nostradamus, Einstein and Jesus Christ.

Sequoia Capital marks down its FTX investment to $0

Guess they were wrong.

 

[Two Dog]

Have you seen Twitter's expenses?

Slashing waste alone is enough to make the company far, far more valuable. The company was full of rot and waste.

Might as well have been one nonstop government party for thousands of people with 7 figures spent on lobster dinners.

My understanding of tech company finance ended sometime around the days of the first dot com era.

How is any business valued at $44B with only $500K in EBIDTA?

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

My understanding of tech company finance ended sometime around the days of the first dot com era.

How is any business valued at $44B with only $500K in EBIDTA?

I don't know, but at that multiple, only a handful of people have to sign up for Elon's $8/month blue checkmark and he's already made a triple digit ROI.

Lol!

 

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[Kak]

This guy keeps popping up in my recommendations and for some reason he reminds me of @Kak. I can picture you, Kyle, recording videos like these when you're older lol.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0-ttGGB7b4


Jokes aside, I really appreciate this guy's style and skill when talking.

I changed my title.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

I don't know, but at that multiple, only a handful of people have to sign up for Elon's $8/month blue checkmark and he's already made a triple digit ROI.

Lol!

Ok I just did the math.

If Twitter was worth $44 billion with an EBITDA of $500k, that's a multiple of 88,000.

If Elon introduced an $8/month subscription to have a blue checkmark and 1 million people signed up, that would increase the value of the bird app by $8.5 TRILLION if the same ridiculous multiple applied hahahaha

 

[mikecarlooch]

YC Startup Library | Y Combinator

YC's library of startup advice: essays and videos that teach you how to start a company.

www.ycombinator.com

I can't believe I just found this. Wow what a boatload of value

 

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[PureA]

Ok I just did the math.

If Twitter was worth $44 billion with an EBITDA of $500k, that's a multiple of 88,000.

If Elon introduced an $8/month subscription to have a blue checkmark and 1 million people signed up, that would increase the value of the bird app by $8.5 TRILLION if the same ridiculous multiple applied hahahaha

That's assuming the value is based on the revenue it produces...

Twitter is an influence machine...

 

[Andy Black]

I can't believe I just found this. Wow what a boatload of value

Mike...

NOTABLE! - What if you already know enough?

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer. A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free”...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Andy Black]

Twitter is an influence machine...

I think for most people Twitter's more of a connection machine.

 

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[PureA]

I think for most people Twitter's more of a connection machine.

My argument was that the multiple twitter was valued at is a consequence of its influence not revenue.

Buyers are more interested in influence than revenue.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

My argument was that the multiple twitter was valued at is a consequence of its influence not revenue.

Buyers are more interested in influence than revenue.

It's both.

And I think you mean net income or earnings, not revenue, for you second alternative. No company should be valued based on revenue, which is always a meaningless number.

 

[MitchC]

My argument was that the multiple twitter was valued at is a consequence of its influence not revenue.

Buyers are more interested in influence than revenue.

That was a lot of it’s value to advertisers too, it’s a terrible platform for advertising on, 3rd world interface and no results

Yet Pfizer was spending heaps with them

They’ve now pulled their budget

You don’t have to be some conspiracy theorist who thinks there’s a deep state that controls everything to connect the dots on how Pfizer paying for useless ads on their platform may be somewhat connected to them censoring misinformation

I can’t tell if Elon is dumb and impulsive or if he’s playing some crazy long game we can’t see, probably a mix of both

It’s hard to even tell how it’s doing

All the big advertisers are pulling their budgets

All the news media that constantly talked about it and used tweets in their stories which were basically the only thing keeping it relevant, are now posting stories non stop about how it’s all falling apart and elons destroying it

Yet I hear it has more users than ever

Either way he’s certainly taken away one of their most influential tools from them which is a good thing

 

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[mikecarlooch]

Mike...

NOTABLE! - What if you already know enough?

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer. A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free”...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Haha!

I'm glad to say that i haven't been spending much time consuming and this week has been most productive week of my life (thanks @LightHouse )

One of the things that Michael Siebel of YC did say that stopped me in my tracks from watching more videos is the following:

"Eat, Talk To Users, Build Product, Exercise, Sleep"

and

"Business is hard but not complex"
"All business is, is do you have customers and are they paying you over and over again"

 

[Two Dog]

That's assuming the value is based on the revenue it produces...

Twitter is an influence machine...

Of course. The platform has always been a free world wide megaphone.

That's why it's uber popular with celebrities, politicians and journalists. What's not to love for every wannabe influencer who loves nothing more than their own voice? However, all that influence making hasn't turned into actual profits. It's a good bet that MJ makes more money running TFF than Twitter ever did.
Elon needs to find a way to get influencers to pay back the $13B in buyout loans.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

Elon needs to find a way to get influencers to pay back the $13B in buyout loans.

He will. The deal is less than a month old!

A $44 billion turnaround takes time

 

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[Antifragile]

Congratulations FLF friends! Each of you are now one of 8 billion people on planet earth? Yup, we've officially crossed the 8 billion

World Population Clock: 8.1 Billion People (LIVE, 2024) - Worldometer

How many people are there in the world? World population has reached 8 billion on November 15, 2022 according to the United Nations. World population live counter with data sheets, graphs, maps, and census data regarding the current, historical, and future world population figures, estimates...

www.worldometers.info

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

I keep hearing people talk about how central bank digital currencies will give the governments tyrannical powers over people.

FYI, they can already have those tyrannical powers via existing financial institutions. CBDCs just might make them a little better at it.

 

[Antifragile]

I keep hearing people talk about how central bank digital currencies will give the governments tyrannical powers over people.

FYI, they can already have those tyrannical powers via existing financial institutions. CBDCs just might make them a little better at it.

Exactly.

Anyone disagreeing... Try not paying your taxes this year and see what kind of powers government has in collecting .

 

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[Antifragile]

What happened to Bruce Willis?

He used to have good roles, good movies. The 90s were good to him. Now it’s from bad to worse.

 

[Parks]

What happened to Bruce Willis?

He used to have good roles, good movies. The 90s were good to him. Now it’s from bad to worse.

Concerns about Bruce Willis' declining cognitive state swirled around sets in recent years

In interviews with The Times this month, nearly two dozen people who were on set with the actor expressed concern about Willis' well-being.

www.latimes.com

 

[MitchC]

I keep hearing people talk about how central bank digital currencies will give the governments tyrannical powers over people.

FYI, they can already have those tyrannical powers via existing financial institutions. CBDCs just might make them a little better at it.

Yes and no

Malcolm Roberts on Instagram: ""ThAT's jUst A cONspiRAcY THEORY!""

1,298 likes, 160 comments - senatormalcolmrobertsNovember 14, 2022 on : ""ThAT's jUst A cONspiRAcY THEORY!""

www.instagram.com

 

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[Xeon]

Quick question: Should product photography costs be factored into the selling price of each product? Since this is a one-time thing. Or would that come under operating expenses?

 

[Lex DeVille]

Would any of my forum friends fill out a quick survey for my psychology class? I need at least 20 people and I only have like 6 or 7 right now. Answers are anonymous. It's a survey in Google docs.

Survey

Disclosure: I am asking you to complete this survey as part of the requirements for my statistics project in a graduate-level psychology course. Your answers will remain completely anonymous. No personal information about you will be linked to this survey. Please do not put your name or any...

forms.gle

 

[Andy Black]

Would any of my forum friends fill out a quick survey for my psychology class? I need at least 20 people and I only have like 6 or 7 right now. Answers are anonymous. It's a survey in Google docs.

Survey

Disclosure: I am asking you to complete this survey as part of the requirements for my statistics project in a graduate-level psychology course. Your answers will remain completely anonymous. No personal information about you will be linked to this survey. Please do not put your name or any...

forms.gle

What do you mean by spirituality Lex?

 

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[Andy Black]

What do you mean by spirituality Lex?

Ah... Lex told me he's not allowed to say.

Survey filled in.

 

[NeoDialectic]

Quick question: Should product photography costs be factored into the selling price of each product? Since this is a one-time thing. Or would that come under operating expenses?

What are you actually trying to figure out here and for what purpose?