[nb1981]

Depends on what you want out of your career as a developer; again, personally, I try to make things that I want/need myself because I find doing it the other way (looking for a hole on the market and filling it, for example) doesn't give me what I want. The motivation is all wrong and I get no satisfaction from that kind of success.

The difference, to me, is whether you're focussed on the product or the reward. I try to focus on the product because that's the best long term strategy in my opinion.

"good development should improve the overall human condition" uh - that's a lot of pressure. I just want to make stuff. Not everything we do has to have a goal, a target. Just build.