It's actually a very pithy phrase, because it's exactly the "message" of the product as art, reversed. Stavros would prefer not to conform, and doesn't care if

It's actually a very pithy phrase, because it's exactly the "message" of the product as art, reversed. Stavros would prefer not to conform, and doesn't care if that means he doesn't influence. Although... ironically he is probably one of the more influential HN posters. Now, profitable, I dunno, do you really mean "conform [in order] to profit", does "influence" just mean "exploit" [in the economic sense. mostly] now? Can we conceive of someone who would rather not conform and in fact would rather not exploit?