[bitcrazy]

I might be the same as you, except like 3 years ahead. I too felt the exact same way, so I left my cushy job (which paid pretty well) to start my own thing.

3 years later, and still bootstrapped, I'm starting to see why things are the way they are. Not trying to sound too depressing, but at the end of the day, money is what matters, and the status quo is the most optimized form of money-making there is. Profit-seeking trumps everything; even if you create the next PageRank algorithm, in order to have value it still needs to be monetized.

I also realize the whole "everyone else is a conman" thinking is quite wrong. PMs do provide value (of course, some more than others); it's just harder to see as an engineer, since it feels like we're doing all the hard work.

This might go against the grain here, but my advice: change the attitude, unless you want to remain depressed.

[lasereyes136]

> This might go against the grain here, but my advice: change the attitude, unless you want to remain depressed.

Great advice. It is up to you to decide how you feel about your situation. There are no perfect answers, just ones that fit you better. Find the set of trade-offs you can live with.

> I also realize the whole "everyone else is a conman" thinking is quite wrong.

While true, there are a good number of people with agendas that aren't in your best interest. Take a queue from those people and look out for your best interest. Move on when you find something that fits you better.