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I'd much rather (co-)own 37signals than an equity stake in any venture funded business, including Slack. Who seriously loves working crazy hours? Make $20m and

I'd much rather (co-)own 37signals than an equity stake in any venture funded business, including Slack. Who seriously loves working crazy hours? Make $20m and invest that well, that's all you need to live a full, free and happy life with your family. Enjoy work, but don't live to work.

pdog 10y ago
Luckily, ambitious people don't think like this. They'd rather make a huge impact on society (think companies like Google and Tesla) than retire comfortably once they can afford fancy toys.
- cookiecaper 10y ago
  Google and Tesla are only possible because their founders actually got control over the money and were able to deploy it to their ends. Yes, their rise was VC-fueled, but that's not the only way to go about it. At some point, you have to be rational. Yes, in theory you could make enough money to reshape the world in your own image. In real life, people need balance and they need limits, and they need to learn to be content with what they can get within those limits, however much that is. Elon Musk is now a two-time divorcee. Brin is a divorcee. I don't actually know Page's marital status and don't care enough to look it up. Google and Tesla's impact is primarily technical, not social; the social impacts are not insignificant, but they're incidental to the technology, and though they like to think they are, Google et al are not in control of how that technology is used. In fact, the effects of these technical innovations appear contradictory to what are likely to be considered the tech industry's dominant values (see: election of Donald Trump). Google and Tesla are important companies, but perhaps their founders could indeed use a little more balance.
manigandham 10y ago
> Who seriously loves working crazy hours? I do. And so do plenty of others. Everyone has a different purpose in mind. Saying "that's all you need" about life choices is incredibly reductive and never helpful.
- charlesdm 10y ago
  Is it working crazy hours you enjoy, or achieving impressive results? Those are two different things, and the latter can almost always be achieved without the former.
  - manigandham 10y ago
    Both.
    - charlesdm 10y ago
      I don't get working crazy hours, but to each it's own! :) I prefer working smart rather than working long hours.
      - manigandham 10y ago
        > smart rather than working long hours. I know you mean well but these are not exclusive, you can do both. There is no substitute for sheer effort, regardless of how optimized it is. But yes, to each their own.

pdog 10y ago

Luckily, ambitious people don't think like this. They'd rather make a huge impact on society (think companies like Google and Tesla) than retire comfortably once they can afford fancy toys.

cookiecaper 10y ago
Google and Tesla are only possible because their founders actually got control over the money and were able to deploy it to their ends. Yes, their rise was VC-fueled, but that's not the only way to go about it. At some point, you have to be rational. Yes, in theory you could make enough money to reshape the world in your own image. In real life, people need balance and they need limits, and they need to learn to be content with what they can get within those limits, however much that is. Elon Musk is now a two-time divorcee. Brin is a divorcee. I don't actually know Page's marital status and don't care enough to look it up. Google and Tesla's impact is primarily technical, not social; the social impacts are not insignificant, but they're incidental to the technology, and though they like to think they are, Google et al are not in control of how that technology is used. In fact, the effects of these technical innovations appear contradictory to what are likely to be considered the tech industry's dominant values (see: election of Donald Trump). Google and Tesla are important companies, but perhaps their founders could indeed use a little more balance.

manigandham 10y ago

> Who seriously loves working crazy hours? I do. And so do plenty of others. Everyone has a different purpose in mind. Saying "that's all you need" about life choices is incredibly reductive and never helpful.

charlesdm 10y ago
Is it working crazy hours you enjoy, or achieving impressive results? Those are two different things, and the latter can almost always be achieved without the former.
- manigandham 10y ago
  Both.
  - charlesdm 10y ago
    I don't get working crazy hours, but to each it's own! :) I prefer working smart rather than working long hours.
    - manigandham 10y ago
      > smart rather than working long hours. I know you mean well but these are not exclusive, you can do both. There is no substitute for sheer effort, regardless of how optimized it is. But yes, to each their own.