Today, with WeWork's return we're pondering what it means to be "tech."  From our very own reveals to INBOUND 2019, we're recapping this week, and gifting you with some weekend wisdom from HubSpot's CPO Katie Burke. 

Today's Top Subscription News

ICYMI: ProfitWell Reveals

In case you missed it, we're rolling out some cool stuff here at ProfitWell.  

Our new product, Benchmarks, allows you to see how your metrics stack up against the largest data set in the universe. We're also integrating with ReCharge and Chargify. So, their users can access PW products for free. Welcome to the fam!

If you're reading this article, then you're already in the know about Recur Now, but what about Recur Network? Our team is proud to put out the first ever network dedicated specifically to the subscription economy. Learning about the sub space has never been easier or more exciting.

Last but definitely not least: our new mobile app. The ProfitWell mobile app gives you access to our subscription metrics and alerts directly to your phone -- because growth never rests, so why should you?

Hiten Shah Vague Tweeting

It seems as though we're not the only ones working on something exciting. We spotted a tweet by Hiten Shah, founder of Product Habits, that reads,

"I'm working on a product that I really want to see exist. Something I need for my own businesses that we're building internally because what's out there just isn't quite right. It's taking a lot of self-control for me to 'show not tell.' Nothing to show yet. More coming soon."

We're dying to know more.

INBOUND 2019 FOMO

We're ready for the weekend but sad to see INBOUND 2019 go, as this year's event went off without a hitch.

On Thursday, attendees heard from big names like Jennifer Garner, Katie Couric, and Chelsea Handler (plus our very own Patrick Campbell).

Things are wrapping up today with appearances from Bryan Stevenson, Priya Parker, Jason Blum, Sarah Harden, and Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Deep Dive

WeWork Braves the Spotlight

WeWork is back in the limelight, with its parent company weighing a dramatic reduction in its valuation as it aims to go public — while facing widespread skepticism over its business model and corporate governance.

We dove deep on WeWork’s IPO back in August, during which the so-dubbed space-as-a-service claimed to be of tech company status, back-to-back with Peloton’s S-1 filing, calling into question what it means to be considered ‘tech.’ 

Ben Thompson at Stratechery wrote a superbly insightful piece on the matter. Some quotes from the article: 

“Of course it is fair to ask, ‘What isn’t a tech company?’ Surely that is the endpoint of software eating the world; I think, though, to classify a company as a tech company because it utilizes software is just as unhelpful today as it would have been decades ago.”

The article continues with,

“Technology is best understood with qualifiers and one of the most useful sets comes from Clayton Christensen and The Innovator’s Dilemma stating: Most new technologies foster improved product performance. I call these sustaining technologies. Some sustaining technologies can be discontinuous or radical in character, while others are of an incremental nature. What all sustaining technologies have in common is that they improve the performance of established products, along the dimensions of performance that mainstream customers in major markets have historically valued. Most technological advances in a given industry are sustaining in character…

Disruptive technologies bring to a market a very different value proposition than had been available previously. Generally, disruptive technologies underperform established products in mainstream markets. But they have other features that a few fringe (and generally new) customers value. Products based on disruptive technologies are typically cheaper, simpler, smaller, and, frequently, more convenient to use.”

Now it's up to you. What your's take on the great tech debate? Share with us your thoughts.

Weekend Wisdom

Today's Weekend Wisdom comes from Katie Burke, Chief People Officer at HubSpot. Here's why Katie embraces the skeptics.

"Where I think there is a big difference is between skeptics and cynics."

And that’s a wrap for your September 6th subscription news. Recruit your friends into the subscription know by sending them to recurnow.com to sign up for episodes on the daily.