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Comment by fourthark | Hacker News Reader

Seems like his point is the inverse: if you don't want it, how will anyone else?

I don't think any software I have been paid to work on has been something I personally want, but there sure are a lot of companies that want it.

I think the point is more about innovation and "creating" the need by solving problems people didn't even know they had

What about a more subtle take? Have you built things in the same way that you'd do it in a personal context? Had a feeling of "doing the right thing"? Put care into your work?

Because it solves a problem they have?

How will that happen? If I don't know anything about photography, and don't even like it much, certainly don't care about it, my photography app will be garbage.

Precisely as so many apps are garbage.

Lot of more traditional software is something the coders don't need or even use, but they still provide real value think of something like inventory tracking in warehouse.

I think I am quite capable of developing understanding of a domain and building a tool to solve a problem in it even if I don’t personally care that much about it. There’s plenty of software out there solving problems it’s hard to imagine much of anyone feeling passionate about.

there's plenty of people who cook for others when they don't like it themselves? like meat, eggs, seafood etc.

Usually they are mediocre chefs. Actually I don't believe that a chef who doesn't like what he's cooking can make it right, and almost every awesome chef I know demand more from the quality of their dishes than their customers.

The product of a chef is the cooking, not the cooked product itself.

I often buy better ingredients than what's found at any restaurant, but I pay to sit at one because they're prepared, cooked and taste better when done by a professional.

Often (not always), you can clealy taste the difference.

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