I really cringe on statement like this. Since startups are not non-profit organizations I tend to cringe when I hear all this "making the world a better place" mantra. I understand that many startup founders have values and vision but as soon as funding comes I think it gets more complicated that.
Entrepreneurship is just a goal for the sake of itself, if you're engineer/tech and you are aware you are just a "slave" who does all the work for almost nothing/a little while the so called "entrepreneurs" do almost nothing and get everything, why don't you become a master (i.e. entrepreneur) yourself, and employ another fool to do the real work for you while you grow a fortune doing almost nothing.
Sorry for my English.
Sys-Bit Digital Solutions. Integrating Open Data Spaces. Yeah. Tech-Bit Data Solution Systems. Creating unique cross platform technology. Technologies. Techno-Jeeeesus. OH FUCK! Infatroid. Cloud based disruptive platforms. Disrupting the cloud of ... I said cloud twice, shit. Making the world a better place through cross platform business facing cloud -- SHIT there's that cloud again. Infatrode. Infatrode? What the fuck is infatrode? What is that? It's all just fucking meaningless words! Ok, no no no no no no no. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Goodbye. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place. Making the world a better place...
KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK -- Sir, are you OK in there?He's been in there all night. I should call the sherif.
Curious why you make the distinction between for-profit and non-profit organizations. All organizations face the challenge of their vision of "making the world a better place" not necessarily lining up with the vision of the folks for whom they want to make it better. For-profit companies at least have the signal of "someone is willing to pay me for this" as a concrete guide to whether they align with anyone.
Watsi's founder talked a fair bit about this in his Startup School presentation (which is excellent, BTW):
If I can make money by making the world a better place or by not making it better or by actively making it worse ... I'll choose the making it better option.
Fortunately as an engineer in the SF Bay Area I have a lot of choice in the matter. Have fired myself from clients whose biggest client was Monsanto[1] and its ilk. Not my cup of tea.
[1] I oppose their business and patent practices, I'm fine with gmos. In case anyone wanted to reply with something silly and start a flamewar.
