Some years ago I had a business doing techno raves and I hardly made any money from it. (lots of beers and girls though) Then I started doing boring stuff, and I realised something important:
The more interesting or cool a niche is, the more people will flock to fill it. Which results in lower income for each business owner. Just look at artists, musicians and DJ's. Lots of girls, fun and beer. But on average, not a lot of money.
On the contrary I know people that are in the furniture moving business that make insane amounts of money. Why? Because it is a shitty business and nobody wants to do it.
Basically it's about supply and demand - the more people that want to pursue a career in a given niche the less the average businessowner will make in that niche.
So you should all stop doing ultracool social network apps and start doing boring ERP systems. If you want to make money that is. ;-)
This is almost completely wrong. In any major city most furniture movers are on the verge of bankrupcy because it is so easy to set up a furniture moving business. You just need a truck and some dudes who will work for $15/hr.
In contrast, if you are a broke musician it means you aren't any good, or you are playing music nobody likes, or you live in a place where nobody cares about music.
I can't comment on your data, only draw conclusions on my empirical knowledge. Maybe things are different in the US. (I assume you live in the US with that username)
And according to your comment 99.9% of musicians are no good and should find another job. Or else I live in a country where nobody cares about music.
Edit: I just reread the comment and thought it did sound a bit insulting.It wasn't meant to be... :-)
I'm guessing from your name that you're in Menlo Park. And, that might account for the difference in perspective.
In many parts of the country, $15 an hour is seen as really good money for unskilled labor. But, in Silicon Valley, $15 an hour is well below the poverty line. I'm sure that works its way up the economic ladder as well. If a moving company owner can make $60-100k a year, in many parts of the country, that's considered rather wealthy. In Silicon Valley, that would probably be a lower middle class income.
Where my in-laws live, in Toledo, Ohio, there are tons of talented artists and musicians. But while there is a great supply, and no demand from wealthy music lovers to support them. So, while a relative plays in a Jazz band every weekend and packs out the club, he has to keep his day job as a small engine mechanic. The clubs just don't pay enough. It's not that people don't like his music. It's that there is no money in that part of the country for skills. It's a lot harder to pay musicians when you're charging $2 for a beer instead of $8 for a mixed drink, or $120 for dinner and drinks for two at Yoshi's in San Francisco.
I'm assuming that if he move to the Bay area, where there is a lot more demand for Jazz, he might be able to make a decent living by playing clubs.
I know the owner of a moving company. He has a large mansion in the hills of Santa Barbara (with fake-rock landscaped pool, etc.), plus a large ranch in Utah (which he bought after he sold his beach house).
In my personal experience (working as a mover for four years during college) the drivers made a good yearly take. It really depended on the driver but there were some making 200-300k in a good year
There's a coastal bay town in the UK called Brighton where furniture moving is very profitable. This may be because distance travelled is very small and this allows a greater number of tasks to be completed without diminishing value.
Some years ago I had a business doing techno raves and I hardly made any money from it. (lots of beers and girls though) Then I started doing boring stuff, and I realised something important:
The more interesting or cool a niche is, the more people will flock to fill it. Which results in lower income for each business owner. Just look at artists, musicians and DJ's. Lots of girls, fun and beer. But on average, not a lot of money.
On the contrary I know people that are in the furniture moving business that make insane amounts of money. Why? Because it is a shitty business and nobody wants to do it.
Basically it's about supply and demand - the more people that want to pursue a career in a given niche the less the average businessowner will make in that niche.
So you should all stop doing ultracool social network apps and start doing boring ERP systems. If you want to make money that is. ;-)