Slghtly unrelated to hacking..

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=341613

by willphipps • 18 years ago

2 8 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

when you guys think of a start up/web app, do you think you want to make something that will change the world, or something that will make you rich?

ram1024• 18 years ago

think of something that will change the world. you have the rest of your life to worry about chasing money, we can all agree that the world needs changing NOW

willphipps3• 18 years ago

here here

tyohn• 18 years ago

Both

willphipps3• 18 years ago

but why? money comes and goes, changing the world is permanent.

noodle• 18 years ago

either, since its really the person, not the idea, that matters.

if you're the type of person who wants to change the world, but can only come up with an idea that makes you rich, that money can be used as a tool to help you change the world.

if you want to get rich, even a "change-the-world" type of idea will turn inward into something that will get you rich (potentially ruining it in the process, though).

shutter• 18 years ago

Ideas which change the world almost always create wealth. Ideas which create wealth do not necessarily change the world.

willphipps3• 18 years ago

Why do ideas that change the world always create wealth?

Mozilla, Miro, Wikipedia....the list goes on. If it was inverse - i.e. the number of non-profits outweighed the number of for-profits - I am quite certain you'd see a bigger change in the world.

randrews• 18 years ago

Neither. I try to think of something I'd want to use myself.

That way, if it goes nowhere (which is likely), I haven't wasted my time, since I now have a useful tool.

Slghtly unrelated to hacking..

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