5 ms·

Solving All the Wrong Problems

15 points by eevilspock 10y ago

niftich 10y ago
Eh, most of these services are essentially get-rich-quick schemes and there's nothing (too) wrong with that. Most will be gone in a few years, falling victim to unsustainable business models, regulatory obstacles, or a sheer inability to monetize. Some will live on, giving us new services to spend our money on. This is Silicon Valley's way of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. I don't know why the writer takes such an issue with the fact that everyone claims their idea will change the world; we know better. And if we're pleasantly surprised, we'll know in the end.
- eevilspock 10y ago
  The problem is that too many of our innovation energies are aimed at these get rich quick schemes and navel-gazing "problems". Sure it's a free country. That doesn't mean we can't wish for better.
- toomuchtodo 10y ago
  > I don't know why the writer takes such an issue with the fact that everyone claims their idea will change the world; we know better. And if we're pleasantly surprised, we'll know in the end. Because important decisions are being made based on assumptions that, while we know are false, the rest of the world doesn't.
caser 10y ago
I think it's a phase entrepreneurs go through. I know I spent time during college trying to get little social apps or other services off the ground. With the passage of time and a couple failed startups, working on one of these pointless apps now holds no interest. I started a side project after my last failed company that turned into something and which I've been bootstrapping since, but I don't have any illusions about it saving the world or anything like that. I do however have a laundry list of 3-5 big hairy societal problems that I want to take a stab at some day, and I regularly find myself thinking about how I can take this side project-turned-company into something more meaningful. Otherwise, what's the point in working on it long term? I think over time, a lot of these founders will tend toward more impactful ideas. Blaming them, calling it a "problem" misses the point hat it's all part of the maturation process.

15 points by eevilspock 10y ago

Eh, most of these services are essentially get-rich-quick schemes and there's nothing (too) wrong with that. Most will be gone in a few years, falling victim to unsustainable business models, regulatory obstacles, or a sheer inability to monetize. Some will live on, giving us new services to spend our money on. This is Silicon Valley's way of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. I don't know why the writer takes such an issue with the fact that everyone claims their idea will change the world; we know better. And if we're pleasantly surprised, we'll know in the end.

eevilspock 10y ago
The problem is that too many of our innovation energies are aimed at these get rich quick schemes and navel-gazing "problems". Sure it's a free country. That doesn't mean we can't wish for better.
toomuchtodo 10y ago
> I don't know why the writer takes such an issue with the fact that everyone claims their idea will change the world; we know better. And if we're pleasantly surprised, we'll know in the end. Because important decisions are being made based on assumptions that, while we know are false, the rest of the world doesn't.

caser 10y ago

I think it's a phase entrepreneurs go through. I know I spent time during college trying to get little social apps or other services off the ground. With the passage of time and a couple failed startups, working on one of these pointless apps now holds no interest. I started a side project after my last failed company that turned into something and which I've been bootstrapping since, but I don't have any illusions about it saving the world or anything like that. I do however have a laundry list of 3-5 big hairy societal problems that I want to take a stab at some day, and I regularly find myself thinking about how I can take this side project-turned-company into something more meaningful. Otherwise, what's the point in working on it long term? I think over time, a lot of these founders will tend toward more impactful ideas. Blaming them, calling it a "problem" misses the point hat it's all part of the maturation process.