Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

> There are no 'external incentives' other than access to higher/more expensive goals.

There are - living in a market economy requires nontrivial amount of work just to maintain what you have. Both individuals and companies have to work to balance out their operational (living) expenses; moreover, in case of companies, competition forces you to "aim higher" because not doing so will make your profit fall with time.

When you "win" in the market game, those incentives diminish or disappear completely.




> living in a market economy requires nontrivial amount of work just to maintain what you have

This is not external, but natural.

Humans need a constant supply of food/energy, food spoils etc. Tell me what kind of economy works otherwise.

I'm also talking more about life goals e.g. getting a better job, as opposed to working at all.

> competition forces you to "aim higher" because not doing so will make your profit fall with time.

This is dependant on a lot of things. There are plenty businesses that have survived being less than innovative. But I'd argue whether being competitive counts as "aiming higher"; competition doesn't always grow, sometimes there is constant competition, and innovation is part of business.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: