[ChuckMcM]

One of the things I have observed over the years is that some people are motivated to build technology because they like building things, and some are motivated by the fact that builders of technology make money.

People who like the 'art' of building this stuff, are (again in my experience, not an exhaustive study or anything) generally much better programmers and engineers that the purely financially motivated folks.

[n42]

I don't disagree, but this romanticized view of the selfless visionary engineer/designer/founder is counterproductive.

the truth is that moderation is important. you need both. do both. be flexible. pay attention. know when to shift focus. getting stuck on one thing at the wrong moment is how you go out of business. don't go out of business.

going out of business is decidedly the most anti-user thing your company can do.

[ChuckMcM]

I think we're on the same page here, there is a reason that sociopaths who use 'money' as their scorecard do better (at least initially) as CEOs. It is also this same principle that explains why startups with multiple founders have a higher correlation with success than solo founders. Having the ability for one person to both pay attention and recognize it is time to shift focus can be rare.

[n42]

Definitely. I think we are, too. I worried that your original comment could be misinterpreted.

[gshdg]

I think there's a third set, which is people who like seeing other people use the stuff they built, whether or not it makes money.

[ChuckMcM]

I totally agree with this too. So three sources of joy; money, elegance, and utility. Of course that reminds me there is the "other" side of developers the ones who find joy in puzzle solving, overcoming artificially imposed barriers, and discovering protected knowledge.

[agota]

I'd suspect that purely financially motivated folks are better at making money, though.