
Ask HN: is a non-profit/social enterprise for reviews platform worth building? - anonsivalley652
Does anyone remember when Consumer Reports was good before the internet? If not, they never accepted freebies, ads or sponsors and regularly reviewed common products, long-terms tests (similar to MotorWeek), how industries played with customers and announced safety recalls. They were subscriber funded. Something similar sounds useful but a $$ scalability challenge to translate it to a platform. Perhaps starting small like e-bikes, water heaters or golf clubs would be best, eh?<p>I think affiliate links, donations, volunteers and&#x2F;or subscribers for a freemium model with some random free content could work, but the way Consumer Reports dwindled and didn&#x27;t really try to get new subscribers seems like they let decline happen. To keep people who are actual employees or major contributors motivated and caring, vested co-op shares that share in excess profits seems like one idea.
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mimixco
The value add in paid journalism is in the research and writing itself, not in
the delivery platform. This is why the New York Times is able to make money
charging for its website. The most difficult part of building a consumer
reviews website will be hiring and paying for the people and the lab
environment to do real tests.

