If you’re feeling frustrated with your online experience lately, you’re not alone. Websites are drowning in autoplay ads, pop-ups, and tracking scripts. Customer service chatbots aren’t much help, and social media algorithms flood your feed with clickbait. Dating apps lock the best features behind paywalls, and your printer won’t cooperate without a subscription. Canceling that subscription in three clicks? Good luck with that.

Welcome to the aftermath of the internet’s shift from user satisfaction to maximizing ad revenue and subscriptions. Ed Zitron, CEO of EZPR and host of Better Offline podcast, calls it the “rot economy.” Tech companies are so focused on growth that you, as a customer, are more of a problem than a benefit in their eyes.

In a recent discussion on the Equity podcast, Zitron revealed why enormous tech companies are stagnating and how this opens doors for startups to challenge them across various industries. He didn’t hold back on criticizing Big Tech’s decline, pointing out their obsession with short-term growth that results in lackluster products. Many established players have grown complacent, assuming customers will stick around out of convenience.

Social media, enterprise software, and search engines are a few areas where Zitron sees opportunities for disruption. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are losing appeal due to poor user experiences and corporate politics. Startups are emerging in the decentralized web, offering alternatives to well-known platforms.

When it comes to productivity software, companies like Microsoft and Google are falling short in delivering high-quality products. Zitron believes that consumers will drive significant changes by moving away from these tech giants towards better options.

Even email services are ripe for innovation, with cluttered inboxes and outdated interfaces plaguing users. Services like ProtonMail, Superhuman, and Hey are trying to redefine email experiences.

Zitron encourages startups to rethink traditional business models and focus on creating products that truly benefit users. Whether it’s challenging Amazon’s dominance in logistics or reinventing outdated industries like real estate tech, there’s room for innovation everywhere.

If you’re fed up with the current state of the internet and eager for change, Zitron’s insights offer a glimpse of hope. Whether you’re yearning for a better online experience or working on disrupting the status quo, his perspective will resonate with you.