Runners and children? 
Oh, I now see Paul already said this. 
3 Likes
There may not be a viable product now, but at the rate things continue the bar for people to switch gets lower and lower and you better believe the stickiness of those people/communities isnāt that strong on Zwift.
1 Like
You forgot to mention the proās. Runners, children and proās.
4 Likes
Whatās your evidence for that? Obviously there are a number of other platforms that seek to repeat Zwiftās success. At least one of those has already closed down, but there are certainly six I can think of. Not all are generally available yet, but there are certainly three that are. Yet I donāt see them taking much of Zwiftās community away.
Certainly when Iāve tried some of them for myself, itās been a relatively solitary experience.
Sure, maybe in a couple of years one of them might have caught up to where Zwift is now, but Iām sure Zwift are savvy to the realities of business.
One reason why Zwift can afford to be quite uncommunicative at times is that thereās nowhere presently that large numbers are going to jump ship for. They are at least self-aware enough to acknowledge theyāre not good at it.
When a serious competitor turns up, Iād certainly expect to be much more on their A game as far as community engagement goes.
1 Like
Does this guy even know what a āhostile takeoverā is? So much anger over what?
Apparently, a few chronically unhappy people think Zwift needs to call a press conference IMMEDIATELY, maybe run ads on Facebook & TV (today, not tomorrow), to announce something that may not affect end users at all.
1 Like
Iāve been a Zwift user since early in the public beta, when it was free, and through now being a paying subscriber. Can I start making wildly absurd demands that show my entitlement attitude too?
5 Likes
Iām not seeing this anger or any absurd demands. Just wondering whatās going on. Timely communication and context is important.
Itās interesting how people always come out to try and shut down criticism of Zwift. Itās a business, not a charity.
5 Likes
Itās the sense of entitlement people react to more than the criticism itself I think. We can criticise them, but demanding answers is a stretch.
5 Likes
Yeah using words like ādemandā doesnāt help matters.
1 Like
It would make no sense for Zwift to have funded Zwiftpower to keep the lights on, then take them over and somehow want to throw all that data used for racing away. I just donāt see any reason for anyone to be worried or upset over a potential takeover.
1 Like
It probably should have been in-house years ago, but for whatever reason theyāve been happy for volunteers and enthusiasts to develop and moderate it. This could definitely be a massive step forward, but it could also mean a dwindling to nothing. The rumours out there about whatās happened donāt sound great if Iām honest, but thatās why some clarity would be welcome.
2 Likes
I think so. Iāve been saying this for years. OK, Zwift never foresaw racing as something people would want to do, and it was never the main goal. But once it became clear people would race on the platform regardless, it really should have had more first-hand support.
Again, I agree. Iāve said the same thing on Facebook, in different words. It could be a brand new dawn, or the twilight.
I havenāt seen any of these, but the fact Zwift werenāt prepared seems like something has happened in the background that brought things to a head in a less than amicable way. No idea what that might be, and itās pure speculation. But to abruptly step away after nearly 4 years of running the site, with silence apart from an employment status update (which is all Iāve seen from anyone) seems drastic.
3 Likes
We donāt know any details (including whether any change was āabruptā or if it was discussed for months prior). Sensible people will wait for word from the involved parties.
Interested people will discuss it.
1 Like
Very true. However, itās better to not make assumptions or judgments based on assumptions as others have done.
At that point it will be far too late. When a viable competitor does arrive (Veloton, where are youā¦?) dissatisfied Zwift customers will drop their subscriptions immediately. If Zwift wishes to generate loyalty within their community they should already be working on that.
2 Likes
Iām not so sure about that. People have inertia and attachment to their virtual gear even if dissatisfied. The competitor will have to demonstrate it really is better, or people will just come back anyway I expect.
Sorry, youāve lost me. I have no idea what you mean by this comment.
These situations strike me as odd because of how differently it could play out. Take two different paths:
- Take over ZP and say nothing. A void of information builds over 72 hours so gradually people start to assume it must not be good, but hope for the best. It creates a bit of anxiety and the very least if you are a regular racer you feel shut out a bit, mostly because the folks behind ZP have been so awesomely accessible and cool to deal with.
- Take over ZP with a plan and statement of intention. Maybe everyone doesnāt agree, but they know where you stand. Perhaps they are excited and encouraged. Heck, you might even get some constructive push back because the secret sauce of ZP over the years has been incorporating ideas in the community.
My friendly suggestion to Zwift is to get the ducks in a row on this stuff. Donāt leave the communication (which builds, shall we say, community) as an after thoughts or let the void of information spoil a good thing. Iām still optimistic that this can be a good thing. Prove me right.
12 Likes