[seibelj]

1 incredible developer could potentially be as good as 100 in the extreme case. But 1 software developer will never be as good as 1000 developers, which is why organizations operating effectively at scale dominate in success.

Similarly I believe giving money to random people is primarily making you yourself feel good. This is fine, but it isn’t very effective except to make yourself feel altruistic.

I prefer to give to organizations that are focused and organized. One of my personal favorites is Liberty in North Korea https://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org

I firmly believe an organization dedicated to helping slaves in a communistic dictatorship escape is better than me giving $500 to my friend. But this should be an analysis you make for yourself in regards to your philanthropic giving.

[regularemployee]

"Similarly I believe giving money to random people is primarily making you yourself feel good" -> I don't think this is true.

Parting ways with my money was an incredibly painful experience internally. It went against every value I grew up with.

I'm also scared to get to close with the people I give money to. I'm too afraid to become too emotionally involved in their problems to be able to reap any rewards of feeling good.

I haven't "bragged" about it to anyone either, the only people that knows are are the recipients, readers here, and my wife.

I do what I do because I think life is unfair and I don't feel I deserve the money I have.

>> I prefer to give to organizations that are focused and organized

I have a hard time donating to an organization when I personally know someone who could use a bit of extra money. Hard to look at them in the eye kinda thing.