I shan't be deterred!

I've been quietly working on my own project in small spurts for the last couple months.  People I discuss it with always have worried questions.   Aren't there so many competitors in that space?  How exactly do you make money off that? etc. etc.

All these worries always faltered my progress on previous ideas in the past  But I'm determined!  If you create something people want...somehow wealth must follow.  Or at least recognition. 

I doubt many (if any) programmers have gained a lot of fame and recognition by writing software for companies and not independently.  The quick examples I can think of:  DHH, or Linus...or someone like Justin Frankel who wrote gnutella and winamp, all worked independently.

So, no matter of monetization, you've got to get started contributing to a major open source project...or creating your own software vision, if your goal is more than a very sweet corporate job with lots of stock options (which granted isn't a horrible goal).

But for me: companies introduce inequality.  They have office politics.  Most employees aim primarily to impress their boss, and not to actually make a great product.  Most companies (depending on their business model), have clients who are stupid...stupid.

I want to just be a creator, in the Howard Roarkian fashion.  My work is for the creation itself and not the monetary benefit (tho I've yet to be quite as principled about the money as Mr. Roark...).  As Roark said, "The creator stands on his own judgment. The parasite follows the opinions of others. The creator thinks, the parasite copies. The creator produces, the parasite loots. The creator's concern is the conquest of nature. The parasite's concern is the conquest of Man. The creator requires independence - he neither serves nor rules. He deals with men by free exchange and voluntary choice. The parasite seeks power. He wants to bind all men together in common action and common slavery....I came here to say that I do not recognize anyone's right to one minute of my life. Nor to any part of my energy, nor to any achievement of mine. No matter who makes the claim!"