Ask HN: Remember when building was about changing the world, not market share?
4•franze•1d ago
Comments
bigyabai•1d ago
Not in my lifetime
franze•1d ago
How old are you?
pvg•1d ago
Apple’s 1984 ad is “we’d like to change the world. by having more of IBM’s market share”. So it must have been a while.
bigyabai•1d ago
If I was 80 years old, would it change anything?
1000 years ago kings were crowned with the intent of changing the world, who died fighting for their petty share of land. Property and virtue stand at-odds with each other, not the least bit in the world of private capital. It doesn't matter how old you are, just how naive you were when the system was introduced to you.
TINSTAAFL and all that.
bdangubic•1d ago
maybe naive employees thought they were “changing the world” - no US company has ever about changing the world but they are all great convincing their rank-and-file of that while they are small. once they reach certain size you can’t hide what you were about all along
kermatt•9h ago
For individuals, yes, and in many cases that is probably still a motivator.
For companies however, revenue always has and always will be the primary driver. Altruism for companies is a marketing tag.
bigyabai•1d ago
franze•1d ago
pvg•1d ago
bigyabai•1d ago
1000 years ago kings were crowned with the intent of changing the world, who died fighting for their petty share of land. Property and virtue stand at-odds with each other, not the least bit in the world of private capital. It doesn't matter how old you are, just how naive you were when the system was introduced to you.
TINSTAAFL and all that.
bdangubic•1d ago