[iridium]

Slightly OT: The biggest collective fiction today is probably this idea that as tech person, we can change the world, and as a result we should try to change the world. Anything less impactful feels like a waste of potential. The general society has bought into it - because we've been hearing this for years: Johnny - you are such a smart programmer, where is your world changing app ?

Among other things, this translates into working ridiculous hours in expensive cities and convincing a set of investors that they too can be part of this world changing process in exchange for a few shekels. Now these shekels will drive innovation, and they will push civilisation forward.

But the magic of the fiction is that poor Johnny will never feel like he did much to change the world, and so he will keep trying ad infinitum.

[zwischenzug]

Yes, capital is still king. However, I would say that Zuckerberg (for example) did achieve a lot without selling his product for capital. That is pretty magical.

[humanrebar]

> ...without selling his product for capital...

Maybe I'm missing what you mean somewhere in there, but facebook raised a lot of capital through investment rounds and an IPO.

[zwischenzug]

He retained control of the company (is what I meant).