Robert A. Heinlein Quotes
Why do some people act as if making money offended their delicate minds? I am out for a legitimate profit, and not ashamed of it; the fact that people will pay money for my goods and services shows that my work is useful.
Heinlein, Robert A. The Man Who Sold the Moon. Shasta Publishers, 1950.
When earning money is the primary driver of a business, that business has come under the control of people who no longer have the vision, interests or focus of the founders and the people who originally made it what it was. Making money is an important part of making a successful company, but if that is all, then unless one is an investor, there is no great advantage to becoming a customer. All of the great new companies started with a vision that may have included making money but went far beyond that.
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction, and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His work continues to have an influence on the science-fiction genre, and on modern culture more generally.