Sure, making money is always a major goal. But at the same time there is an idealistic streak in many companies that makes them do things against their financial best interest.

For example, a friend of mine built a haunted attraction. He said it was for the money, but it was really to satisfy him. So he put much more money into the house than it would ever bring back. At one level, he knew this and at another level it didn’t really matter to him because he wanted to gain personal satisfaction with the result.

A few people I have worked with have paid failing employees for months after it was abundently clear that they would not bring back any kind of decent return. In one case, this form of payment was such a high percentage of revenues that it actually endangered the company.

Steve Jobs of Apple wants to make money, but I think he wants to make a great product, something he can be proud of, even more.

I’m building a social networking site not because I think it’s what will make me the most money, but because I think it’s the one thing I’m best at in the world and the space where I can genuinely make a difference.

There are a lot safer things I could do that would probably bring me more money. But life is partially about making money and partially about trying to find some kind of happiness in what you do.

I think many business owners are trying to look at both, and strike a balance between doing things good for the world and maximizing their profits.

D

“Iraq tried to buy enriched uranium from Nigeria.”

“Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.”

“The Iraqi people will welcome us with open arms.”

“Mission Accomplished.”

etc., etc., etc.

I was just thinking about why companies over-inflate numbers in general. Is it to make themselves feel better, influence customers, or because nobody is watching them?

Those are three possibilities.

> Because they’re too busy leading their lives to
> care about what companies are really doing.

Today we are permanent customers. Probably we’re even customers while we are sleeping. We are completely soaked up in being customers. In fact, you could pose the question: is there anything that we are being more than being customers?

So, yeah: Busy lives. Busy with ever being customer somewhere else.

Of course, I’m not saying you’re wrong. I think you’re 100% right in the general case. While there are honest companies, they are rarer than I’d like.

And don’t forget, even dishonest companies have honest employees: I’ve spoken off the record with customers, prospects and even potential employees before to quietly set the record straight when I think someone has been egregiously dishonest with them. Naturally, I start any such discussion by signalling that I’ll completely deny ever having the discussion — which is probably itself self-serving and dishonest.