> This is all well and good, but I think the point is that there is an imbalance, and very few tech startups are going after the big problems these days.
But, my point is that these companies are indirectly going after the big problems by taking care of the little things. There are companies of 1 to 2 people who can now outsource almost every physical aspect of their service so that they can focus on their core product. Do I hire a team of sysadmins and technicians to maintain a server farm to 1) pay, 2) train, 3) meet with regularly, or do I simply host my service on AWS? One could argue that AWS is nothing but a first-world solution, but hey, it's responsible for hosting a HUGE number of companies! These "small", "iterative", "derivative" services can have a huge impact on industries. Just because they're not devoted to saving Africa or rescuing animals or ending world hunger doesn't mean they're not important.
> There are some notable ones, but it seems to be the road less traveled.
It's funny that you mention the 'road less traveled'. People use that phrase in allusion to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," where the narrator opines about coming to a fork in the road and wondering about how his life would be different had he taken the other path.
The funny part is that Frost was really being sarcastic and basically saying that it makes no difference which road you'll take. So yes, you can "go after the big problems" consciously and take that "road less traveled," but in the end, BOTH paths can result in solving big problems (or not solving anything).
But, my point is that these companies are indirectly going after the big problems by taking care of the little things. There are companies of 1 to 2 people who can now outsource almost every physical aspect of their service so that they can focus on their core product. Do I hire a team of sysadmins and technicians to maintain a server farm to 1) pay, 2) train, 3) meet with regularly, or do I simply host my service on AWS? One could argue that AWS is nothing but a first-world solution, but hey, it's responsible for hosting a HUGE number of companies! These "small", "iterative", "derivative" services can have a huge impact on industries. Just because they're not devoted to saving Africa or rescuing animals or ending world hunger doesn't mean they're not important.
> There are some notable ones, but it seems to be the road less traveled.
It's funny that you mention the 'road less traveled'. People use that phrase in allusion to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," where the narrator opines about coming to a fork in the road and wondering about how his life would be different had he taken the other path.
The funny part is that Frost was really being sarcastic and basically saying that it makes no difference which road you'll take. So yes, you can "go after the big problems" consciously and take that "road less traveled," but in the end, BOTH paths can result in solving big problems (or not solving anything).