Sorry, you're right, there is no direct legal obligation to make money. However, investors in startups frequently have a large degree of control over the direct

Sorry, you're right, there is no direct legal obligation to make money. However, investors in startups frequently have a large degree of control over the direction of the company, and often care more about the bottom line than any broader mission to change the world. See e.g. Jason Hoyt's blog post on Mendeley: http://enjoythedisruption.com/post/47527556151/my-thoughts-on-mendeley-elsevier-why-i-left-to-start http://enjoythedisruption.com/post/47527556151/my-thoughts-o...