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Reading Hacker News, I get the impression that tech startups are the only sector of our capitalist economy that has transcended the profit motive and is apparen
by rrrrtttt 11y ago
Reading Hacker News, I get the impression that tech startups are the only sector of our capitalist economy that has transcended the profit motive and is apparently serving a higher cause.
- zecho 11y agoI think there's always been naive people in the labor force. See also: unpaid interns working at national magazines.
- delphinius81 11y agoIn the magazine industry, those are the only "jobs" at all. There are very few paying jobs (and those that do pay a non-livable wage) so you have people with degrees and a year plus experience still working for nothing (or next to nothing).
- olemartinorg 11y agoEmployees are very rarely motivated by profit/salary. See Herzberg's two-factor theory. This is not unique to our sector.
- jazzyk 11y agoEmployees are very rarely motivated EXCLUSIVELY by profit/salary. Fixed it for you :-)
- olemartinorg 11y agoHave you read the theory? Salary is not even a motivational factor. Salary is among the hygiene factors, that (quoting wikipedia) do not give positive satisfaction or lead to higher motivation, though dissatisfaction results from their absence.
- jazzyk 11y agoIt is just an academic theory, not holy gospel (with a long "Validity and criticisms" section in Wikipedia). I think salary IS a motivational factor in real life, as for many humans it is a yardstick of superiority compared to other humans (whether it is right or wrong is another matter).
- ecobiker 11y agoI agree. Salary is a motivational factor - at least indirectly. It's a status symbol. It shows the company values you.
- mjevans 11y agoI can only imagine a world without monetary payment, in some form, for the extremes of far too little and more than enough. Thinking about the brighter side of things I suppose that in the more than enough side of things you would be paid with happiness. That to be wealthy would be to have something you enjoy doing all of the time. Success however, would be measured in a currency that is more difficult to track, respect.
- RHSeeger 11y agoIts more than just a yardstick for comparison. I know I want to be able to buy the things I want (whether that be going out to dinner more often, buying a new car at 5 years instead of 10, etc). If my salary isn't enough to do those things without major sacrifices elsewhere, then its at least as important a motivator to me as other things.
- fuzzywalrus 11y agoThis seems to be a theory based on the assumption that the person(s) are already having more than their base needs met: (decent housing, food, entertainment, retirement). Salary is one hell of a motivator if you're struggling to meet these things. It's all good and academic but antithetical to why a good portion of people obtain higher education.
- rifung 11y ago
- golergka 11y agoHow come?
- igorgue 11y agoMaybe you're completely naive.
- ajankovic 11y agoOr sarcastic.
- gragas 11y agoI love this, but at the same time I have to be wary. I'm torn between thinking of Hacker News as benevolent or delusional and self-righteous. I get the benevolent vibes when I see comments like golergka's. I get the delusional, self-righteous vibes when I see founders and VCs comparing themselves to JP Morgan and JD Rockefeller, saying "Hey! Look! I'm just as important as those guys!" "Silicon Valley is important!" That said, Silicon Valley may very well be an important part of history. But the self-centeredness makes me wary.
- Apocryphon 11y agoI don't see golergka's comment as falling into some sort of SV "VC-istan" delusional thinking. Joining a small, expanding company is an excellent way to build experience and career growth. It's just in SV we call those small businesses "startups" and accord them some sort of inherent moral superiority.
- gragas 11y agoI said >I get the benevolent vibes when I see comments like golergka's I think his comment is benevolent, not delusional.
- calibraxis 11y agoYeah, I think there's one thing the startup world does offer: more freedom+respect than other places. (Above a certain income.) It's horrific, full of lies and doesn't let everyone in. And that "freedom" is often interpreted as harassment. But. There's a reason why certain people choose it. You can be less of a cog.
- randomname2 11y agoFreedom is harrassment how?
- golergka 11y ago> I get the benevolent vibes when I see comments like golergka's. Thanks, but why? My comment works in completely capitalist self-interest way, even when you forget about all the joy of programming.
- toomuchtodo 11y agoI don't know of any other tech startup besides Watsi that's serving a higher cause. Enlighten me?
- mcafeeryan92 11y agoraise.me
- te_chris 11y agoIt's idealism wrapped in bullshit to allow left-wing founders to sleep at night.
- victor9000 11y agotruth? you'll be over worked, under paid, and you'll get tired of it well before the equity's worth anything.