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People are more than bodies - they all have minds, too. While the need for physical labor will continue to decrease, many things that require a human mind to d

People are more than bodies - they all have minds, too. While the need for physical labor will continue to decrease, many things that require a human mind to do will still be in demand. The real question is, will we vote to allow those that choose to apply their minds the chance to actually try their ideas in reality? Look at what's happening to Airbnb. What kind of message does that send - "come up with a great new idea, one that provides value to hundreds of thousands, work as hard as you can for years, and watch it get crushed by regulations?" That is the biggest threat to everyone that wants to earn a better life for themselves in the future, not the "rise of the machines," which has only made us more productive, richer. Regulations are a major reason why everyone seems to focus on doing tech startups that don't get too far outside of computing. It's not just a random trend. When we let the best and brightest do their best, a lot more wealth will be created, and you'll see the standard of living start to increase again.

eli_gottlieb 13y ago
With respect, the other reason tech-startups don't go too far outside computing are because that's what we know. Most hackers might have some domain expertise outside computing, but usually not enough to start a complete business in their secondary field of knowledge.
- bad_user 13y ago
  I do not agree. Most hackers can learn the details of any domain-specific knowledge they want and many of them do so, especially those that are working in consulting. To be a good consultant and earn a reasonable monthly revenue, you have to able able to absorb domain-specific knowledge in a matter of days, or even hours and many people do so. The reason for why we aren't going outside computing is precisely because we'd have to deal with stupid regulations and barriers that have been placed to not upset the status quo, whereas computing and the Internet is the most unregulated industry by far. This is why those in power try their best to regulate the Internet and computing and why we get so upset whenever they try.
- rdouble 13y ago
  Also, most other businesses are much more capital intensive. Starting a basic retail store or a bar or even franchising an existing restaurant requires a lot more money than starting a software startup.

eli_gottlieb 13y ago

With respect, the other reason tech-startups don't go too far outside computing are because that's what we know. Most hackers might have some domain expertise outside computing, but usually not enough to start a complete business in their secondary field of knowledge.

bad_user 13y ago
I do not agree. Most hackers can learn the details of any domain-specific knowledge they want and many of them do so, especially those that are working in consulting. To be a good consultant and earn a reasonable monthly revenue, you have to able able to absorb domain-specific knowledge in a matter of days, or even hours and many people do so. The reason for why we aren't going outside computing is precisely because we'd have to deal with stupid regulations and barriers that have been placed to not upset the status quo, whereas computing and the Internet is the most unregulated industry by far. This is why those in power try their best to regulate the Internet and computing and why we get so upset whenever they try.
rdouble 13y ago
Also, most other businesses are much more capital intensive. Starting a basic retail store or a bar or even franchising an existing restaurant requires a lot more money than starting a software startup.