Basically if you look at OpenRouter in a isolation this could be confusing, but when bundled with Stripe's integrated product solutions for the lower end, developer centric market, this makes infitite sense.
https://s-1.vercel.app/posts/what-stripe-can-become-broader-...
I was more skeptical of openrouter a year ago. Not hard to implement multiple models, but after getting burned multiple times (eg Google in particular) I see openrouter as serving a few key functions: (1) aggregating demand across neoclouds for performance etc (2) providing a great developer experience (3) easily switching models and normalizing the idiosyncratic nature of each. There are so many (good) model providers today this is more compelling now with 10+ solid model companies than a year ago when I thought it might be just 3.
So I have shifted load away from calling some models to openrouter.
If LLM providers continue grow and become such a standard part of the tech stack of any deployment, this acquisition makes a lot of sense. It's just another payment management system for stripe.
It's fun to see someone being able to exit so well without owning any model.
The acquisition makes no sense, as most LLM providers only reason not to forbid them right now, is because they were funded by exactly the same VCs as the providers. Go check.
Of all the no moats they are the example of no moat. Its seconds switch to another router if even that is tolerated. And lets not even talk, the lack of compliance in an enterprise environment, and as they defer to providers on that...
But the acquisition makes a LOT of SENSE, if you realize that as the same VCs sit on Stripe, Anthropic, OpenAI and most important OpenRouter. Said VCs have a lot of interest in recovering their money...by pushing one of their companies to buy another one of their own, before LLMs providers financial pressures cut OpenRouter legs.
Is this stuff even legal? I will wait for Patrick Boyle video...
> And lets not even talk, the lack of compliance in an enterprise environment, and as they defer to providers on that...
A middleman that adds compliance & regulation while skimming a slice off the top for themselves: You just described credit cards - stripe's core business...
Stripe isn’t exactly a dumb company. When someone smart does something seemingly super dumb, more likely than not you’re the one missing something, not them. It’s an opportunity to ask, “what am I missing?”, and learn from it.
> I didn't say it was super dumb, it was more of a reflection on that's how much a wrapper is worth today.
Are you sure that the value is in the wrapper and not rather in the fact that investors who invested into OpenRouter also invested into companies that can buy OpenRouter? ;-)
I guess hardly anybody claims that. I think the suspicion is rather about whether there exist some other "puppetmasters" (e.g. venture capitalists) who pressured Stripe into buying OpenRouter.
So I have shifted load away from calling some models to openrouter.
It's fun to see someone being able to exit so well without owning any model.
Of all the no moats they are the example of no moat. Its seconds switch to another router if even that is tolerated. And lets not even talk, the lack of compliance in an enterprise environment, and as they defer to providers on that...
But the acquisition makes a LOT of SENSE, if you realize that as the same VCs sit on Stripe, Anthropic, OpenAI and most important OpenRouter. Said VCs have a lot of interest in recovering their money...by pushing one of their companies to buy another one of their own, before LLMs providers financial pressures cut OpenRouter legs.
Is this stuff even legal? I will wait for Patrick Boyle video...
A middleman that adds compliance & regulation while skimming a slice off the top for themselves: You just described credit cards - stripe's core business...
Are you sure that the value is in the wrapper and not rather in the fact that investors who invested into OpenRouter also invested into companies that can buy OpenRouter? ;-)
(see also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49330668 ).
I guess hardly anybody claims that. I think the suspicion is rather about whether there exist some other "puppetmasters" (e.g. venture capitalists) who pressured Stripe into buying OpenRouter.