Rant: The Scam of Corporate America

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IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
not having to worry about sales, not having to worry about finding a business idea, not fronting any money, not losing any money, aka NO RISK AT ALL in corporate overlord lifestyle

vacation = check still in the mail

i live my 9-5, and then when I come home I brainstorm for my side businesses. in my corporate overlord world, someone else gets paid to brainstorm.


corporate life = average rewards, average to low risk, NO capital outlay
owning your own business = crapshoot for rewards (you might be successful you might bust), high risk, lots of administrative BS to deal with, lots of capital outlay
self employed = crapshoot for rewards (you might be successful you might bust), little/no benefits, little risk, no guaranteed pay, low capital outlay

I pretty much agree. But this also lends support to the OPs notion that people in general have accepted an "average deal"(corporate) as being the end all.

Most people I'd say haven't even tried and failed on their own.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
because it's inevitable.
300 million small businesses in america is not efficient, nor sustainable.

Yeah surely I don't expect johnny hamburger flipper to start a hamburger flipping consultancy but at some point he would have gained enough knowledge in the food service business(hopefully) to have what it takes to venture off on his own.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
I pretty much agree. But this also lends support to the OPs notion that people in general have accepted an "average deal"(corporate) as being the end all.

Most people I'd say haven't even tried and failed on their own.

It means they have weighed the risks and decided to go a safe route. Does not jumping out of an airplane with a parachute mean we are brainwashed into not parachuting? No, it means people have weighed the potential risk of death and decided it against it. Much like tens of millions of americans have weighed the financial\personal risk of owning their business and decided it not worth it.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
It means they have weighed the risks and decided to go a safe route. Does not jumping out of an airplane with a parachute mean we are brainwashed into not parachuting? No, it means people have weighed the potential risk of death and decided it against it. Much like tens of millions of americans have weighed the financial\personal risk of owning their business and decided it not worth it.

So either they never had a worthwhile dream or they gave up on it on some point.
 

xanis

Lifer
Sep 11, 2005
17,571
8
0
I will never work to my fullest for a company I have no personal investment in. They will always get ~50%.

"Now, if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime. So, where's the motivation?"

:thumbsup: When I was reading through the OP I almost thought it was some sort of Office Space parody. :D
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
"Worthwhile" is a subjective word. Also not everybody has a dream of building a business.

your right if your highest aspiration is what the op considers middle class mediocrity then you sure as hell don't need to start a business at all.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
your right if your highest aspiration is what the op considers middle class mediocrity then you sure as hell don't need to start a business at all.

starting a business does not guarantee a better lifestyle than a corporate overlord, and I would heartily argue in many instances it's worse.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
your right if your highest aspiration is what the op considers middle class mediocrity then you sure as hell don't need to start a business at all.

So then what is the problem? Tens of millions have decided they are comfortable living in the middle class with 2.7 kids and a white pickett fence.
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
starting a business does not guarantee a better lifestyle than a corporate overlord, and I would heartily argue in many instances it's worse.

your right its not a guarantee you will get it your first time... or your second...or your third....but if you keep at it you will get it.

Corporate world is pretty much a surrendering all hope of anything else.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
Corporate world is pretty much a surrendering all hope of anything else.

...which might actually be pretty good, and better than what the small business is doing.

you get there by doing the exact opposite of the OP.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
your right its not a guarantee you will get it your first time... or your second...or your third....but if you keep at it you will get it.

Corporate world is pretty much a surrendering all hope of anything else.

All hope of what exactly? You have already said people who have weighed the risk costs of starting a business vs working in the corporate world and who have different priorities than starting their own business shouldnt start a business.
 

busydude

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2010
8,793
5
76
your right its not a guarantee you will get it your first time... or your second...or your third....but if you keep at it you will get it.

Corporate world is pretty much a surrendering all hope of anything else.


So.. who funds those ideas? I would love to live your lalaland.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
There is no problem if that was always your highest aspiration in life.

So then this thread is pointless? Clearly the majority of America is fine with working in a corporate culture and not running their own business. Their priorities are elsewhere.
 

busydude

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2010
8,793
5
76
who funds anything? Who funded facebook? who funded google? Who funded microsoft?

Why is there only one Microsoft like company? What does it take to impress VCs or IBs? Do you think everyone has resources, brain power and will to do that?

Are you a business owner?
 

IceBergSLiM

Lifer
Jul 11, 2000
29,932
3
81
Why is there only one Microsoft like company? What does it take to impress VCs or IBs? Do you think everyone has resources, brain power and will to do that?

Are you a business owner?

not everyones aspiration has to be making a billion dollars. Your aspiration can simply be a nice house in the burbs and enthusiasm and enjoyment with your job. If you meet that working for a corp good for you congrats. I simply don't think its the case for most.

If I was a business owner I wouldn't be wasting my time on here! lulz.