One filter I use is the "deathbed test". When I'm lying on my deathbed, will I be satisfied with what I spent my life working on? I'm not entirely an idealist,

One filter I use is the "deathbed test". When I'm lying on my deathbed, will I be satisfied with what I spent my life working on? I'm not entirely an idealist, so I recognize that we need a balance between focusing on ideas that make us money, ideas that are just for fun, and ideas that might make the world a better place. But in the end, I want to be one of those old people who looks back happily on a life filled with meaningful work. So to answer your question more directly, I choose to focus on ideas and projects that maintain a balance between earning money, playing with fun ideas, and making the world a beter place.