Revenue vs Profit Debate

The cluster centers on discussions correcting misconceptions about revenue versus profit, stressing that revenue does not equal profit after expenses and criticizing comparisons that ignore costs or treat revenue as profit.

📉 Falling 0.4x Startups & Business
2,588
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#5734
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
1
2008
13
2009
41
2010
54
2011
92
2012
117
2013
101
2014
85
2015
105
2016
141
2017
140
2018
154
2019
200
2020
166
2021
231
2022
222
2023
319
2024
187
2025
212
2026
7

Keywords

GAAP GP IMO GMV wikipedia.org profit revenue costs expenses accounting revenues tax retailer cost expense

Sample Comments

inemesitaffia Oct 26, 2023 View on HN

That accounts for profit, not revenue

hermitcrab Feb 22, 2025 View on HN

But not their expenses? Revenue != Profit.

EpicEng Aug 31, 2017 View on HN

It's only a cost if the expenses are larger than the revenue...

seventytwo Jul 20, 2023 View on HN

Minus all the profits the companies take…

mewpmewp2 Jul 30, 2021 View on HN

The person seemed to be implying as if they were making the money back in 1 day otherwise this comparison would be meaningless, as they can have infinite revenue, but 0 profit.

BriggyDwiggs42 Nov 24, 2025 View on HN

The cost is 8/m of profit that wouldn’t show up on the balance sheet

__m Jun 5, 2025 View on HN

I wonder what the real costs are and what is taken as profit

zepolen Nov 22, 2025 View on HN

Profit is after costs+investments removed, not just payroll.

guappa Apr 29, 2024 View on HN

A massive revenue that is dwarfed by massive expenses isn't "profit"

kryptiskt Jul 18, 2018 View on HN

They should compare with profits, revenue has costs.