How money changes tech culture #startups

1. SPSpeaker0:00

   The technology industry was seen as a place for people that feel that way and think that way and are aligned, uh, with everyone agreeing to a code of conduct and agreeing to rules and numbers being super factual, uh-

2. SPSpeaker0:14

   Yes

3. SPSpeaker0:14

   ... in every way.

4. SPSpeaker0:15

   Yes.

5. SPSpeaker0:16

   And so I think there's always been this tension as money flows into the tech industry-

6. SPSpeaker0:22

   Mm

7. SPSpeaker0:22

   ... that the more money and lucrative this stuff gets, the more it attracts people-

8. SPSpeaker0:26

   Mm-hmm

9. SPSpeaker0:26

   ... that would not be in this industry if there were no money in it, right?

10. SPSpeaker0:29

    That's true.

11. SPSpeaker0:29

    'Cause there's some people that are, like, engineers, whether physical engineers or software engineers, they would be doing this even if this was, like, making no money, right?

12. SPSpeaker0:36

    Yep.

13. SPSpeaker0:36

    'Cause they like it. And there's some people that are 100% only doing this versus whatever because-

14. SPSpeaker0:44

    Bankers. [laughs]

15. SPSpeaker0:44

    Right?

16. SPSpeaker0:45

    Yeah.

17. SPSpeaker0:46

    [laughs] In the '60s, it was starting a rock band, right? Like, there's a lot of people, if you're an ambitious young person in the '60s, you started, like, a rock band, and a lot of people went far with that. Um, starting a startup is, like, something you do if you're an ambitious young person. And so where I'm going with this is that in this cultural tension, I think a lot of the true nerds are very angry and upset when they see what they feel is an injustice. And again, I guess I'm one of them. Like, it bugs me, too. Like, I c- you know, I'm gonna level with you. Um, and that folks with a different perspective might just be like, "Oh, this is how everything works."

18. SPSpeaker1:21

    Mm.

19. SPSpeaker1:21

    And it reminds me a little bit of, I don't know, like, high school, where there, there were some people that were like, "Yeah, cheating's just part of the game. Like, of course we cheat. Like, everyone cheats." And I don't know, man, like, I've always just found it kind of a drag to, to see some of that influence coming into the tech industry. And, like, last thing for me on this point, I've noticed it, it has everything to do with market cycles, and when, you know, [laughs]

20. SPSpeaker1:47

    Yep

21. SPSpeaker1:47

    ... the hotter things get in terms of money, the sketchier things get. And when there's no heat on the, on the tech industry, this is less of a problem

Episode duration: 1:57