The only people who do things for “pleasure” are affluent hobbyists or rich kids with no real sense of what needs to be done in this world. Of course there are exceptions, but I’m talking Pareto distribution here. 1
I’m an affluent hobbyist, so I make things that are clever and/or nice but have no business model. The things I make costs hundreds of dollars. Elon Musk makes things to amuse himself with hundreds of millions. We prolly spend about the same percentage of relative worth. 2
But if you aren’t rich and have a brilliant idea for something really cool but without a business model that costs a couple of million to build, there is NO WAY to make that happen in Silicon Valley. No way to get funded. 3
When I say “brilliant idea for something really cool but without a business model” I’m referring to stuff like renewable energy, public transportation, child care, a place for teenagers to go. Stuff like that. "Public good” is what that stuff is called. 4
So, you have a community where no money is invested in public goods, and surprise!, the community doesn’t attract people who care about a healthy community. Instead it attracts money grubbers. That is, Silicon Valley. 5/
Back in the 70s, SilVal was filled with idealist inventors out to change the world. Today it’s a cesspool of self-indulgent grasping. The inventors are gone and only the banksters and lawyers and startup fodder remain. I was there and watched it all happen.
