4 comments

  • Brian A.Brian A., over 6 years ago

    I agree with this wholeheartedly, but I think there's an underlying money problem. It's hard to get folks (myself included, unfortunately) to commit to solving these nobler issues when tech startups are paying six-figure salaries to develop the next distraction or convenience service.

    Don’t worry too much about making a buck. If you succeed in making people’s lives better, money will follow.

    I can't say that I completely agree with this. If products that legitimately made people's lives better (not just more convenient or entertaining) made the big bucks, wouldn't more of us be working in that space?

    I think that the monetary incentive for creating these more "noble" products needs to somehow be higher if we want people to focus on them.

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    • Guilherme Coelho, over 6 years ago

      I think that also has something to do with how much is enough, money-wise. Products that let you concentrate on yourself 1000x more capital than the average person in your country are by definition a "breach" you've found in the system. For social networks, for instance, the breach is that they're exploiting a new kind of addiction that's yet to be regulated.

      Imagine having a quasi-monopoly for cocaine before it was regulated... great business; terrible for humanity.

      On the other end of the spectrum, however, I still believe most real problems can be solved for a profit. That is, get fair pay for the value you bring; instead of getting unfarily paid by maliciously exploring a weakness.

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    • Renato CasteloRenato Castelo, over 6 years ago

      Hey @brian, really interesting point of view. Thanks for starting the discussion!

      I might be an over optimistic person, but I see the money problem pretty much as a self-fulfilling prophecy:

      Talents don't work in these "noble" companies because they don't make the big bucks

      ⇡⇣

      "Noble" companies don't make the big bucks because they can't attract great talent to work for them.

      At the end it boils down to a very personal thing: what drives you. In my case is a balance between impact (In the organization I am part of and in the lives of the users) and money as a by-product of the value I created.

      In these scenarios salaries are pretty much earned rather than paid. In order to make six-figures, you have to create a product that makes eight-figures. Unfortunately that's harder to do than creating the next distraction or convenience service.

      Do you see it differently?

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      • Brian A.Brian A., over 6 years ago

        I agree with everything you just said (again). I think we're on the same page. :)

        At the end it boils down to a very personal thing: what drives you. In my case is a balance between impact (In the organization I am part of and in the lives of the users) and money as a by-product of the value I created.

        I think this is what we all aspire to have: Balance between fulfillment and compensation. It sounds like you're working at the right place!

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