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It's not a getting old thing. Corporations ruin everything. Maximizing revenue at the expense of everything else has its cost.

by Flankk 4y ago

sillysaurusx 4y ago
Is there an alternative? It’s true that in a thousand years, the systems that exist today are likely not going to be those of the next millennia. But it’s also true that the incentives of society change very, very slowly. And right now the most impactful work seems to be done by politicians and corporations. Which means the ambitious will always be attracted to those, like flies to sunlight. I just don’t see the point in even recognizing these truths, let alone trying to change them. There’s nothing —- nothing —- that you or I can do about it. Not even YC could. They sailed with the wind, not against it. The most we can do seems to be to maximize our own individual happiness. Speaking of happiness, dear readers, remember that 35 is middle age. Working until you’re 60 is the biggest corporate triumph of them all. Do the things you want before you retire.
- marcosdumay 4y ago
  > Is there an alternative? Yes, make the markets competitive.
  - nichos 4y ago
    Competition comes from corporations and start ups.
    - pm90 4y ago
      And what makes it possible for lots of startups to exist? What makes it possible for upstarts to rapidly rise and replace an incumbent? Todays Big Tech replaced the earlier generation. But the markets have been so thoroughly captured that it seems impossible for any startup to replace Meta or Apple or Google. Netflix is struggling not against another startup but industry incumbents replicating its technology. Until the markets get competitive again, there won’t be much innovation domestically. TikTok should have shocked the entire US tech industry but rather than try to come up with better products the Tech industry tried to dismember the company and gobble up its US assets ( a process that stopped only because of a change in administration).
- tonguez 4y ago
  the alternative is humans decide to invest their energy in improving the quality of life of other humans instead of pure (financial) domination
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
papito 4y ago
Not revenue. "Shareholder VALUE".
- Flankk 4y ago
  Shareholder value is a business term, sometimes phrased as shareholder value maximization or as the shareholder value model, which implies that the ultimate measure of a company's success is the extent to which it enriches shareholders.

It's not a getting old thing. Corporations ruin everything. Maximizing revenue at the expense of everything else has its cost.

by Flankk 4y ago

It's not a getting old thing. Corporations ruin everything. Maximizing revenue at the expense of everything else has its cost.

sillysaurusx 4y ago

Is there an alternative? It’s true that in a thousand years, the systems that exist today are likely not going to be those of the next millennia. But it’s also true that the incentives of society change very, very slowly. And right now the most impactful work seems to be done by politicians and corporations. Which means the ambitious will always be attracted to those, like flies to sunlight. I just don’t see the point in even recognizing these truths, let alone trying to change them. There’s nothing —- nothing —- that you or I can do about it. Not even YC could. They sailed with the wind, not against it. The most we can do seems to be to maximize our own individual happiness. Speaking of happiness, dear readers, remember that 35 is middle age. Working until you’re 60 is the biggest corporate triumph of them all. Do the things you want before you retire.

marcosdumay 4y ago
> Is there an alternative? Yes, make the markets competitive.
- nichos 4y ago
  Competition comes from corporations and start ups.
  - pm90 4y ago
    And what makes it possible for lots of startups to exist? What makes it possible for upstarts to rapidly rise and replace an incumbent? Todays Big Tech replaced the earlier generation. But the markets have been so thoroughly captured that it seems impossible for any startup to replace Meta or Apple or Google. Netflix is struggling not against another startup but industry incumbents replicating its technology. Until the markets get competitive again, there won’t be much innovation domestically. TikTok should have shocked the entire US tech industry but rather than try to come up with better products the Tech industry tried to dismember the company and gobble up its US assets ( a process that stopped only because of a change in administration).
tonguez 4y ago
the alternative is humans decide to invest their energy in improving the quality of life of other humans instead of pure (financial) domination

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

papito 4y ago

Not revenue. "Shareholder VALUE".

Flankk 4y ago
Shareholder value is a business term, sometimes phrased as shareholder value maximization or as the shareholder value model, which implies that the ultimate measure of a company's success is the extent to which it enriches shareholders.