Hah. Only if you're enthralled by what passes for reality in the Bay area. Outside that particular gravity well the rest of the world seems to be getting along just fine with pursuits rooted in providing actual value.

> rest of the world seems to be getting along just fine with pursuits rooted in providing actual value

Oh man don’t look too hard into the medical industry, auto industry, game industry, or appliance industry.

It really seems like they’re all looking for rent-seeking type opportunities, subscription services, and planned obsolescence.

I think Serif (makers of affinity photo) is the only software shops that come to mind that sells a useful product not tied to a subscription. EDIT: oh actually bitwig is too. I think a lot if DAWs don’t require a subscription.

I’m sure there are others, but they’re few and far between.

You aren't wrong there and what's really telling is how software has made aggressive inroads into those markets. Where software goes bullshit is sure to follow.