Suppose "make something people want" is the North star. It's the YC strapline, of course. The issue is that the "people" concerned change. As a startup we make

Suppose "make something people want" is the North star. It's the YC strapline, of course. The issue is that the "people" concerned change. As a startup we make something people want, and if we get it right we might choose to take on the rocket fuel that gives us a slim chance of becoming a platform. But the rocket fuel suppliers want returns, so we switch from being concerned about people, as users, and more concerned about shareholders. Andlet us not forget VCs want monopolies. So we have a bunch of unsolved problems with monopolies maintained with the lie that Shopping, Search, Messaging, Social Interaction, Video Calls ... are solved problems. Technology and media should help you decide what to do and help you accomplish things you have decided to do. What it shouldn't do, but does so increasingly, is stopping us thinking when we should be.