[kijin]

In aggregate, Stack Overflow probably saved developers far more time than anyone ever put in, and saved companies all over the world far more money than the founders made in their exit.

[milesward]

Creating more value than you capture has ways been the jam.

[keybored]

You just need to be working class to fulfill that dream.

[fakedang]

Also saved AI companies far more effort in gathering correct code for training.

[kijin]

Not just correct code, but also a whole bunch of incorrect answers, as well as votes and comments to help weigh the trustworthiness of each answer.