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# Why Tech Platform Decline Stories Miss the Mark
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/why-tech-platform-decline-stories-miss-the-mark/
- Published: 2026-09-01T16:18:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-01T16:18:58.000Z
- Description: A16z argues that the “enshittification” narrative—platforms deliberately degrade to extract value—doesn’t match user behavior. People spend more time and money on Meta, Google, and Amazon despite complaints about quality.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-consumer, platform dynamics, user attention, trust and platform behavior

Source: [a16z](https://open.substack.com/pub/a16z/p/enshittification-isnt-real)

A16z argues that the "enshittification" narrative—platforms deliberately degrade to extract value—doesn't match user behavior. People spend more time and money on Meta, Google, and Amazon despite complaints about quality. Platforms face genuine trade-offs between monetization and user experience, but users' continued engagement suggests the cost-benefit calculation still favors staying. The degradation story conflates normal friction with coordinated decay.