> the system has morphed it into a way to grind talented people into the ground with impossible deadlines and insane demands
My experience with computers has been the same. That and music. I make it a major point to watch for flags of that kind of environment with any company I speak to.
I'm a realist and not every day can be the most fun ever—sometimes there's a bit of a grind—but it shouldn't be the default status. I would lose too much if they stopped being fun. I've had it happen once before and it took several years to find that fun feeling again. Life's too short for that.
I think as a society and an economy, we need a more holistic view of wealth and profit. Obviously a company where everyone just focuses on having fun and forgets about making money isn’t going to do well, but on the other hand, is a company that makes billions but where everyone is stressed and miserable really doing well either? It’s profitable in monetary terms, but not in ‘real’ terms if we include wellbeing and quality of life when measuring outputs.
The impact of a product on its users is also important—does it have a positive or negative impact on their wellbeing?
A business that creates negative happiness should be viewed just like one that creates negative cashflow.
I agree. The implications would be maybe that well-being wouldn't need to be so entwined with the model of our current fiscal economy if it came to which should win out (I mean in the tone of Star Trek's lack of traditional money).
I'd also prefer less "product" worship—but that's probably more personal, and a different sub-topic.
My experience with computers has been the same. That and music. I make it a major point to watch for flags of that kind of environment with any company I speak to.
I'm a realist and not every day can be the most fun ever—sometimes there's a bit of a grind—but it shouldn't be the default status. I would lose too much if they stopped being fun. I've had it happen once before and it took several years to find that fun feeling again. Life's too short for that.