imknight
12/15/2012 - 2:04 PM

Business models based on the compiled list at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4924647. I find the link very hard to browse, so I made a

Business models based on the compiled list at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4924647. I find the link very hard to browse, so I made a simple version in Markdown instead.

The list in monospaced `<pre>` code (with aligned columns) might be easier to read:

~~~mdown
Business Models
===============

Advertising
-----------
Display ads                        | Yahoo!
Search ads                         | Google
Text ads                           | Google
Video ads                          | Hulu, Twitch.tv
Audio ads                          | Pandora, Radio, Podcasts
Promoted content                   | Twitter, Tumblr
Paid-content links                 | Outbrain
Recruitment ads                    | LinkedIn
Lead generation                    | MoneySuperMarket, ZocDoc
Affiliate fees                     | The Wirecutter
Classifieds                        | Craigslist
Featured listings                  | Yelp, Super Pages;
E-mail ads                         | Yahoo, MSN
Ad-retargeting                     | Criteo 
Real-time-intent ad delivery       |
Location-based offers              | Foursquare
Sponsorships/Site take-overs       | Pandora
Lifetime, unique ad space          | NSFWCORP Conflict Tower, milliondollarhomepage.com
Sponsorships                       | Twitch.tv users

Commerce
--------
Retailing                          | Zappos
Marketplace                        | Etsy
Crowd-sourced marketplace          | Threadless
Excess-capacity markets            | Uber, AirBnB
Vertically-integrated commerce     | Warby Parker
Aggregator                         | Lastminute.com
Flash sales                        | Gilt Groupe, Vente Privee, Fab
Group buying                       | Groupon
Digital goods/downloads            | iTunes
Virtual goods                      | Zynga
Training                           | Cloudera(?), -> Coursera
Pay what you want                  | Radiohead
Commission                         | SharesPost
Commission per order               | Seamless, GrubHub
Auction                            | eBay
Reverse Auction                    | Priceline
Barter for services                | SwapRight

Subscription
------------
Software as a Service (SaaS)       | Salesforce
Service aaS                        | Shopify
Content aaS                        | Spotify, Netflix
Platform aaS (PaaS)                | dotCloud, Heroku
Infrastructure aaS (IaaS)          | 
Freemium SaaS                      | Dropbox
Ethical premium                    | Proposed by Clayton Cubitt
Donations                          | Wikipedia
Recurring donations (w/ rewards)   | Patreon
Sampling                           | Birchbox, BarkBox
Membership services                | Amazon Prime
Support and maintenance            | 10gen, Red Hat, Cloud66
Paywall                            | New York Times, Andrew Sullivan
Strict Paywall                     | The Information
Porous Paywall                     | NSFWCORP
Voice and video conferencing       | Uberconference
Newsletter                         | Ricardo Bueno
Fremium video subscription         | Twitch.tv, YouTube

Peer to Peer (P2P)
------------------
P2P lending                        | Lending Club
P2P gambling                       | BetFair
P2P buying                         | Etsy
P2P insurance                      | 
P2P computing                      | CrasPlan storage, SETI@home
P2P service                        | Mechanical Turk, TaskRabbit
P2P mobile WiFi/tethering          | 

Transaction-Processing
----------------------
Merchant acquiring                 | PayPal (On-/Offline), Stripe (OnL), Square (OffL)
Intermediary                       | IP Commerce (POS 2.0), CardSpring
Acquiring processing               | Paymentech
Bank transfer                      | Dwolla
Bank depository offering           | Simple, Movenbank (spread on average deposits)
Bank card issuance                 | Simple (interchange fee per transaction)
Fullfilment                        | Amazon
Messaging                          | Peer-to-Peer SMS, IM, Group Messaging
Telephony (public networks)        | Skype out/in
Telephony (private cloud)          | Native Skype
Mobile payment gateway             | Braintree
Platform monetization (“tax”)      | Facebook Credits, iOS 30/70 cut

Licensing
---------
Per seat                           | Sencha
Per device/server                  | QlikView
Per application instance           | Adobe Photoshop
Per site                           | Private cloud on internal infrastructure
Patent                             | Qualcomm
Brand                              | Sesame Street
Indirect                           | Apple Volume Purchasing

Data
----
User data                          | BlueKai
Business data                      | Duedil
User intelligence                  | YouGov
Search Data                        | Chango
Real-time consumer intent data     | Yieldbot
Benchmarking services              | Comscore
Market research                    | GLG

Mobile
------
Paid-app downloads                 | WhatsApp
In-app purchases                   | Zynga Poker
In-app subscriptions               | New York Times app
Advertising                        | Flurry, AdMob
Digital-to-physical                | Red Stamp, Postagram

Gaming
------
Freemium (virtual currency)        | Zynga
Subscription                       | World of Warcraft
Premium                            | Xbox games
DLC (downloadable content)         | Call of Duty
Ads                                | addictinggames.com

Open Source (FOSS)
------------------
Consulting                         | Red Hat, Nginx, Revsys
Support                            | 
Hosting/Infrastructure             | WordPress
Free for some, but not for others  |
Ads                                | Mozilla
Bundled features (e.g. search)     | Mozilla, Opera
~~~

Business Models

Advertising

ModelsExamples
Display adsYahoo!
Search adsGoogle
Text adsGoogle
Video adsHulu, Twitch.tv
Audio adsPandora, Radio, Podcasts
Promoted contentTwitter, Tumblr
Paid-content linksOutbrain
Recruitment adsLinkedIn
Lead generationMoneySuperMarket, ZocDoc
Affiliate feesThe Wirecutter
ClassifiedsCraigslist
Featured listingsYelp, Super Pages;
E-mail adsYahoo, MSN
Ad-retargetingCriteo
Real-time-intent ad delivery
Location-based offersFoursquare
Sponsorships/Site take-oversPandora
Lifetime, unique ad spaceNSFWCORP Conflict Tower, milliondollarhomepage.com
SponsorshipsTwitch.tv users

Commerce

ModelsExamples
RetailingZappos
MarketplaceEtsy
Crowd-sourced marketplaceThreadless
Excess-capacity marketsUber, AirBnB
Vertically-integrated commerceWarby Parker
AggregatorLastminute.com
Flash salesGilt Groupe, Vente Privee, Fab
Group buyingGroupon
Digital goods/downloadsiTunes
Virtual goodsZynga
TrainingCloudera(?), -> Coursera
Pay what you wantRadiohead
CommissionSharesPost
Commission per orderSeamless, GrubHub
AuctioneBay
Reverse AuctionPriceline
Barter for servicesSwapRight

Subscription

ModelsExamples
Software as a Service (SaaS)Salesforce
Service aaSShopify
Content aaSSpotify, Netflix
Platform aaS (PaaS)dotCloud, Heroku
Infrastructure aaS (IaaS)
Freemium SaaSDropbox
Ethical premiumProposed by Clayton Cubitt
DonationsWikipedia
Recurring donations (w/ rewards)Patreon
SamplingBirchbox, BarkBox (sic)
Membership servicesAmazon Prime
Support and maintenance10gen, Red Hat, Cloud66
PaywallNew York Times, Andrew Sullivan
Strict PaywallThe Information
Porous PaywallNSFWCORP
Voice and video conferencingUberconference
NewsletterRicardo Bueno
Fremium video subscriptionTwitch.tv, YouTube

Peer to Peer (P2P)

ModelsExamples
P2P lendingLending Club
P2P gamblingBetFair
P2P buyingEtsy
P2P insurance
P2P computingCrasPlan storage, SETI@home
P2P serviceMechanical Turk, TaskRabbit
P2P mobile WiFi/tethering

Transaction-Processing

ModelsExamples
Merchant acquiringPayPal (On-/Offline), Stripe (OnL), Square (OffL)
IntermediaryIP Commerce (POS 2.0), CardSpring
Acquiring processingPaymentech
Bank transferDwolla
Bank depository offeringSimple, Movenbank (spread on average deposits)
Bank card issuanceSimple (interchange fee per transaction)
FullfilmentAmazon
MessagingPeer-to-Peer SMS, IM, Group Messaging
Telephony (public networks)Skype out/in
Telephony (private cloud)Native Skype
Mobile payment gatewayBraintree
Platform monetization (“tax”)Facebook Credits, iOS 30/70 cut

Licensing

ModelsExamples
Per seatSencha
Per device/serverQlikView
Per application instanceAdobe Photoshop
Per sitePrivate cloud on internal infrastructure
PatentQualcomm
BrandSesame Street
IndirectApple Volume Purchasing

Data

ModelsExamples
User dataBlueKai
Business dataDuedil
User intelligenceYouGov
Search DataChango
Real-time consumer intent dataYieldbot
Benchmarking servicesComscore
Market researchGLG

Mobile

ModelsExamples
Paid-app downloadsWhatsApp
In-app purchasesZynga Poker
In-app subscriptionsNew York Times app
AdvertisingFlurry, AdMob
Digital-to-physicalRed Stamp, Postagram

Gaming

ModelsExamples
Freemium (virtual currency)Zynga
SubscriptionWorld of Warcraft
PremiumXbox games
DLC (downloadable content)Call of Duty
Adsaddictinggames.com

Open Source

ModelsExamples
ConsultingRed Hat, Nginx, Revsys
Support
Hosting/InfrastructureWordPress
Free for some, but not for others
AdsMozilla
Bundled features (e.g. search)Mozilla, Opera