[xbpx]

This logic can also apply to hobby projects and interests. "There are amazing artists or software programmers building world class stuff, what can I add?" is a common enough refrain I've encountered here on HN.

It's not just about the end results, it's about being the person or seeking the experiences you want to have.

Maybe you want to be the person who builds companies. Go build one. Maybe you want to make 3d designs or game engines or hack on circuits. Buy the book and get started. You're not likely to be the next maestro, no one is. But you do bring your unique identity and a fresh perspective which those before did not have.

Even if you don't build a world changing something or other at least you did the things you wanted to do and were the person you wanted to be. Even getting close to that is a life well lived, and lucky and privileged in many eyes.

[imtringued]

Or the usual "has already been done" comment on a Show HN. Add "written in Rust" and you are guaranteed to disturb a beehive.

It's a lot of fun to build something yourself. It's not very fun to spend days wading through an old opensource code base only to get told that your change won't be merged. The only people who go through that process are those that absolutely need the patch.

The thought of contributing to Freecad hasn't crossed my mind because of that.

Meanwhile some people swim against the stream and create something beautiful. Just take a look at Kicad vs Horizon EDA. The world is better off by having both.

[jcun4128]

Yeah I feel the same about the hobby stuff, I know it's a piece of crap but I had fun figuring out how to make it.

[petra]

Will this work if you just want to make lots of money?

[xbpx]

If you enjoyed the effort but ultimately failed anyway... I guess it works if you manage to die relatively happy instead of miserable.