Your friend could have gotten the same benefits while working on something that also was of greater (presumable) benefit to others than "Cat Snaps".
(I speak as one who has tremendous respect for the good that cat pictures have done for the world.)
(I speak as one who has tremendous respect for the good that cat pictures have done for the world.)
You just hear the point of the original article.
There was one developing a robot spoon with stabilizing anti-vibrations for people with Parkinson's. I remember the look on the faces of elderly people in the video, as they could finally again bring peas to their mouths without spilling everything. That was genuine, they didn't need that "I appear in all the startup videos" guy or hire actors.
There's a bunch of startups working to bring encryption and other privacy-enhancing tools to the masses.
These guys providing mobile laundromat service for the homeless. Though I dunno if they were making any profits with that.
I think people overestimate the number of useful project ideas floating around which don't require unusual expertise. Some "starter projects" might benefit mankind, but certainly they can't be expected to do so.