Inspiration and wealth will come to you if your goal is to help another person solve a problem.
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Inspiration and wealth will come to you if your goal is to help another person solve a problem.
Nathan Torrence
on 09 Mar 11I agree with the inspiration part, the wealth, however, isn’t guaranteed, unless of course you change the definition of wealth to “a wealth of good feelings” or “a wealth of opportunities”. Having said that, it shouldn’t deter you from solving peoples problems.
ZJR
on 09 Mar 11Well maybe if we’re talking about helping “not-completely-broke” persons the wealth part stands.
Priests, missionaries, and nurses aren’t exactly up to their neck in gold dust.
Ape
on 09 Mar 11People tend to have common problems. Much of the wealth stems from having an uncommon solution.
Paul Montwill
on 09 Mar 11@37signals: I’ve been reading your blog for 4 years and for the first time I discovered what is written on a violet background. Banner blindness rocks!
“Looking for a job? Got a position to fill? Check out the Job Board. Got a web design project in mind? Find a web designer on Sortfolio. Browse by visual style, portfolio, budget, and geographic location. Over 1 million people use 37signals’ simple web-based software to collaborate on projects, track contacts, and organize their business with an intranet.”
Sebastian
on 09 Mar 11It’s definitely an ideal.. and I would like to keep on thinking this is the right way of doing it. But actually there are lots of people, agencies and clients out there, expecting exactly this way of thinking. To get solid work cheap and still complain about it.
Ryan
on 09 Mar 11Too bad all those poor people don’t want to help other people solve problems. Not genuinely, at least. Selfish jerks!
GregT
on 09 Mar 11What if the other person’s problem is to like, kill babies without getting caught, or something like that?
Pies
on 10 Mar 11That’s hardly an insight, more like something found inside a fortune cookie.
Paul Montwill
on 10 Mar 11@Pies: I wouldn’t underestimate it. Great businesses are built around solving serious problems. The bigger the problem is the better. Many companies forget about this golden rule focusing too much on being “cool” or on “maximizing profit”.
JD
on 10 Mar 11Pies, maybe. I suppose what struck me is how many of my peers’ goal is to have inspiring jobs or wealth (monetary, intellectual, or emotional).
The trick is to just try to help someone each day (at the basest level). The more you do this the more you’ll get that inspiration and wealth — compounding over years and decades.
Justin Maxwell
on 11 Mar 11a.k.a.
“You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” - Zig Ziglar
John Gallagher
on 12 Mar 11Although I can see how many people find this trite, I’ve got to say I find it very encouraging. It’s always been my goal to help people and I’m starting to think that’s what business is about at it’s most basic level – that and obviously charging a fee for this.
Thanks for a great quote!
This discussion is closed.