I dislike self-promotional bloggers too. But I believe Derek Sivers is pretty sincere and is actually doing stuff for love rather than money (if you know anything about his history, you should realize this even more). If you don't get anything out of his posts, obviously don't waste your time but I've noticed after reading his posts I always feel just a little bit more inspired to transcend myself. Doing a startup is as much about being able to stay inspired as it is about understanding the nuts and bolts of technology. Staying motivated and optimistic is key and any little bit of help we can get from each other's experiences will not go to waste as long as it's coming from the right place.