[pm90]

The point though is that these are not really lotto tickets. A lot of high-tech startups are working on monetizing some obscure technology, or inventing a more efficient way to do a task, or something along those lines. They are actually providing value, other than the payoff from their sale or IPO. I think we as a society are failing somewhat to give an appropriate monetary value to that kind of contribution.

[TheHegemon]

The problem is that a VC doesn't care how much value a product provides to society. It only cares how much value it can extract for itself.

[flamedoge]

some VCs do look at what non monetary value their investment generates. I.e. Reddit.