>My father once said (whilst slaving over PDS7.1 writing yet another payroll system in the late 80s): "I feel guilty sitting here taking money from people for t

>My father once said (whilst slaving over PDS7.1 writing yet another payroll system in the late 80s): "I feel guilty sitting here taking money from people for this. It genuinely doesn't improve their lives." Your father did not see the big picture and your notions are wrong. If it did not improve someone's life (even if only by a small amount) - then they would not justify paying your father to write it. Most of the time innovation is an evolutionary process. The software that your father worked on probably added some features that are still in use today. Each generation of software improves on the last (iteratively). Eventually things evolve and do change the human experience. Let me give you an example. I am self employed and have several employees. I use payroll software but I am not an accountant or book keeper by any means. Without the advancements and features in this software, I would have to pay someone to do this for me. This may not seem like a big deal to do, but if payroll software did not have the features and automation level that it does today, I would have to pay MUCH more to have it done by an accountant. I work on a narrow margin and this may put me out of business altogether. So I certainly think that payroll software evolving over the decades has changed this humans experience and MAY even enable a leap in innovation that comes out of my business - partly thanks to your father. Why does every startup have to be something innovative? I say that even if it is a copycat - it will probably have some new ideas to throw into the pool. Things that have not been thought of before. Lessons will be learned from their successes and mistakes. Lessons that those who follow them can build on. Even if the business fails, the ideas it contributed will live on and help with the evolution. It is not conceivable that more than 5% or people will have a groundbreaking innovative idea. This has been the same throughout time. That does not mean that we should not try though. BTW - I find that people with attitudes like the author and you are usually the ones who sit around and do nothing. Nothing that is but criticize and find fault with others ideas and efforts. Do you know where the human race would be if everyone was like you and not like those you are criticizing? We would be living in caves still...