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The use to pirate stuff all the time. Now it's actually more convenient for me to buy it.

But the philosophy I always had was that as long as there were enough people like you paying for software, I wouldn't have to.

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I think most people in the industry pirated software when they were students or just beginning. But now that we make money it’s easier to just buy it.

Friend of mine pirated photoshop when he was studying and after he finished and started his own business he started paying for it.

Photoshop being easy to pirate was a feature for Apple: the uptake was absolutely insane across all possible levels and eventually nobody uses anything else. Same with Microsoft in 90s: when students asked Bill what he's planning to do with the whole China copying it, he replied that let them get used to it and we'll find a way to charge later.

*a feature for Adobe, not Apple

All too often the proprietary piece of software sucks, including their price, but its still the best. For example Burp Suite.

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