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Comment by neilparikh | Hacker News Reader

> To "increase the internet's GDP"? Might as well just start a war while we're at it, that will for sure increase some countries GDP as well.

Do you really think that allowing people to make transactions/trades (that they previously couldn't easily) isn't a very socially valuable thing? And do you really think it's comparable to starting a war?

And FWIW, I don't think starting a war will increase the total GDP of the world; it'll probably reduce it...

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It’s now a commodity business with a range of competitors. Do people at Stripe really become this bamboozled? You’re not changing the world anymore, you’re just making money. You’re mercenaries who've been fooled into believing you’re missionaries. The counter-factual of a Stripeless world in 2022 is the market share gets split across the other providers and the world keeps on trucking. Get over yourselves.

> The counter-factual of a Stripeless world in 2022

The author worked there from 2015-2019.

Yes and by that point both Braintree and Square were in competition iirc. Probably others too.

And existence of competition, somehow, disables ability of company to innovate? Yeah, world could exist without them. It also could without any other innovative company - we would just have some slightly worse alternatives.

Btw - I'm not involved with Stripe in any way (at best they might be competition in some areas), but they have some things that are objectively better quality than other vendors.

Yes that is why I said "some countries" and not the world. It is hyperbole. Of course I think Stripe provides a valuable service, but I don't think it is more valuable than, say, a hospital. I don't think it provides a service that is valuable enough for people to have to be putting 15 hours of work a day and for people to be stressed to the point of crying in the workplace because of it.

And my biggest problem is that, it is very likely that the culture that is fostered is precisely one where "the mission" as in "increment the internet's GDP" is seen as a form of life-or-death situation. That workers at these companies genuinely end up believing these things. But where really is the value that they are generating going to? In reality, these workers are being over-worked to generate value for the VCs and share holders of these corporations.

I mean, i there's another comment pretty much sums up how tech culture is now a days and it's basically wasting our most brilliant minds to optimise slot machines. Anyway, I do think Stripe is useful but I don't think any company really should treat workers and foster this kind of culture.

Umm sure this could be the noblest thing but nothing in the constitution about being love with the company mission. It is a job. They pay you, you provide labor. As long as the employee isn't acting maliciously or maligning the company what gives?

Then in ten years you write post on HN "I have objectively good life, but it feels empty - what to do?" - every now and then there's a couple hitting front page.

True but then it is a "you" problem rather than a company->employee expectation problem no? ie passion to a company's purpose is more of a selling point (and bargaining factor even for lower comp) than a daily pledge of allegiance job requirement. I am pretty sure when my parents worked in a postal office sorting mail as new (and highly qualified) immigrants they did it to feed me and my siblings rather than due to a passion for mail sorting.

I think there's couple layers to that. I would argue, that your parents would probably consider their job boring, underpaid, but in the end necessary and beneficial for regular people. Many of developers writing these posts, seem to have bullshit job complex.

Passion is very strong word. Maybe just sense, that what you're doing is actually useful and not just justification of existence of your managers job? Personally I perform much worse if I see, that project is waste of everyone's time.

Also - if your dilemma is feeding or not your children, then job satisfaction might be less important. It's obvious that software developers have extremely good position in this regard.

Original article is about someone's warm memories of working for Stripe (for I assume exceptional compensation, far from any food-related issues), and a lot of people complained in comments, because in their view, what you doing 8h a day MUST be least important thing in your life, no matter what.

+1 Intrinsic motivation is important (and personal too). But that I am not sure companies gets to demand that out of you as long as you are delivering (and not maligning). When this gets equated "well you are not putting 200% so you are not motivated" that is where I see the problem.

Also I am totally fine if the author of this article is reminiscing good old days of gruel and pain. I just couldnt find anything to empathize with her about and felt sad for her. Again if masochism is the author's thing then good for them.

I also think, that company cannot demand it. However some companies are able to convince you, that what they do is worthwhile use of your time - in general it feels better to work in places like this and I can see, that someone has warm memories of them, even if there were some pain along the way.

Wether its genuine or just bullshit facade just to squeeze you more - it's other conversation.

Also I get, that not everyone are into this (however I believe many end bitter over this later) or can afford it due to current life situation.

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