I get it. The last two decades have soured us all on the benefits of tech progress. But the previous decades were marked by tech optimism. The difference here

I get it. The last two decades have soured us all on the benefits of tech progress. But the previous decades were marked by tech optimism. The difference here is the shift to marketing. The largest tech companies are gatekeepers for our attention. The most valuable tech created in the last two decades was not in service of us but to manipulate us. Previously, the customer of the software was the one buying it. Our lives improved. The next wave of tech now on the horizon gives us an opportunity to change the course we’ve been on. I’m not convinced there is political will to regulate manipulation in a way that does more good than harm. Instead, we need to show a path to profitability through products that are not manipulative. The most effective thing we can do, as developers and business creators, is to again make products aligned with our customers. The good news is that the market for honest software has never been better. A good chunk of people are finally learning not to trust VC-backed companies that give away free products. Generative AI provides an opportunity for tiny companies to provide real value in a new way that people will pay for. The way forward is: 1. Do not accept VC. Bootstrap. 2. Legally bind your company to not productizing your customer. 3. Tell everyone what you’re doing. It’s not AI that’s the problem. It’s the way we have been doing business.