Guess Control4 might get some ‘new blood’
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His name is Kindel!?
I keep wondering if Control4 might be in a good position to enter lower end markets; perhaps with a different brand. This strategy works for some companies like Harmon.
He’s got to be bringing some lessons to them from Amazon.
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People always say they can read him like an ebook.
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I wonder how Control 4’s business has been with all with DIY smart home device gaining popularity? Are they hoping Charlie can get them into the DIY market and get a piece of the pie?
Any guesses how long it will be until someone here on the forum suggests Cotrol 4 buying Hubitat!
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“As customers get through their journey of doing stuff themselves, maybe geeking out on it a little bit, they are either going to jump to this conclusion right away, or they’re going to get to it eventually, and once they reach a certain number of devices or a certain number of scenarios, they’re going to want it done right, and they’re going to want someone else to take care of the work involved with keeping it running and keeping it configured and customizing it as their family changes.”
His premise is spot on, not the usual marketing fluff. Clearly he has been through the same painful maintenance journey as any ST user with 100+ devices and attempted refined SmartApps.
But the last part I dunno. I still want the ability to control and customize on my own and, after initial setup cost, I’m not willing to pay more than the cost of say… Netflix. But I’m not the mainstream market. The challenge to going mainstream is pricing vs level of service. I haven’t used Control4, but I hear it is actually reliable so that is what has me interested.
Yea that ‘want it done right’ is kinda the key. Ive started looking at next steps, or even dialing it back. like 99% of my stuff is directly for lighting. I do wish there was a little lower barrier to entry to Control4 than trying to find a friendly reseller… because the system itself doesnt look too bad to get going. Just that model they have is the lockout for me. If I get another house, ST likely will not be the solution I go with… Right now I’m fine but yea its not what I see lasting a long time. But, even with my 60+ devices, honestly its mostly pain free…I just don’t try to push the boundries over ‘lights come on with motion’ or the such.
That would work, Kindel is just across the bridge from Mike!
Now we know the real reason why Amazon dropped “Kindle” from its tablet’s official name, as opposed to a made-up one 
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The truth is, given a choice between “cheap but crappy” and “good but expensive”, majority of consumers chose crappy. Control4 has always been and will be a niche market.
Hear’s hoping they break that trend and come out with a new middle ground product, kinda cheap and reliable.
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What does this tell us about his abilities as a leader, if the former head couldn’t get Amazon do do it right?
Blockquote
founder of Amazon’s Alexa Smart Home division, has found his next gig, and he ended up there in part thanks to frustrations smartening up his own home.
Nothing in particular other than that Amazon leadership at levels above his were only interested in a very simple mass-market solution ( which is consistent with their brand) and he wants something more complex for himself. 
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Just a cultural mismatch.
There are plenty of leaders that can do exceedingly well in one organization and yet poorly in another. Heck, we all know one.
Executive recruitment seems to be a crapshoot.
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It tells me that he wasn’t the guy at the top of the org chart.
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I chatted with this guy once. I tried to convince him to hire me. Too bad he didn’t. The echo could have been soooo much better. Very intelligent guy (except for his hiring practices, obviously!)
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