I have been thinking about "value" recently.

There is a trend nowadays called the era of front-end development. For those interested in transitioning to become engineers, they are often convinced to become front-end developers without much hesitation. However, in the market, there is a trade-off. Companies pay for your expertise, and you invest time to earn money. There is a demand for web development in the market, as many companies offer services or products primarily through web platforms, hence the need for front-end engineers.

Additionally, I don't like it when some front-end developers start looking down on other industries. We can discuss this issue later if we have time.

Recently, I bought a timer from MUJI. I really like its minimalist design, so I bought it even though it cost 500 yuan.

When I think about its functionality, it's not complicated at all. It has countdown, reset, and a display. That's it. But to turn it into a complete product, product design and modeling are needed. It's not something that can be done easily.

That's where the value of 500 yuan comes from. It's difficult to convince people to spend 500 yuan on software or online services, but it's much easier for hardware to overcome this barrier and make consumers pay. However, I've been thinking that it's unlikely for an independent developer to take a prototype to the level of commercialization, unless they have connections and channels. Because even just creating molds and placing orders with factories requires a significant amount of money, which is difficult for independent developers to afford or for small businesses to achieve.

This is where the advantage of software comes in. As a developer, it is possible to create a service from scratch, from 0 to 1. Servers and databases can be easily solved through the cloud, as long as you have a computer to write code, there are unlimited possibilities. Of course, finding a niche market and making money from developing software is another matter. Nowadays, almost every demand has corresponding services and products. Relying solely on software may become increasingly difficult to make money.

Therefore, integration is needed. For example, Amazon not only provides a platform but also takes care of logistics and other aspects to ensure a smooth service process. Uber Eats does the same, providing not only a delivery platform but also integration, order tracking, rating mechanisms, and more. What I want to say is that software itself has limited value. Many times, it requires implementation to understand the needs of users, rather than just writing code.

That's probably why most well-known engineers, in the end, no longer identify themselves as engineers but become managers or entrepreneurs directly. Because to solve the needs of users, writing code is just a means to an end.

However, this kind of platform also creates another problem. To keep the platform running, there are people who have to put in labor, which often doesn't correspond to their salary. The actual workers who deliver goods or meals are the ones who make transactions happen, but their salaries are often much lower than expected. The platform earns big money, engineers earn high salaries, and behind the scenes are countless ordinary people working tirelessly. I know this is a complex issue, but it just feels strange to me.

Coming back to the concept of value, as mentioned earlier, you invest time and expertise to earn money, and companies buy your skills. Although salaries vary based on the company, experience, skills, and market demand, there is ultimately a limit. It is difficult to become wealthy solely relying on a salary or achieve financial freedom.

Financial freedom is not about earning a lot of money, but having the ability to do what you want without being influenced by economic factors. For example, if I want to travel for a month without working, I can immediately book a flight without worrying about how much money is left in my company or bank account. Without financial freedom, it is difficult to do what you want without worries, and not having money can make your life more difficult compared to others. It's like starting at a disadvantage, and I have felt this from elementary school to university graduation.

I have read many articles and books online. Although the methods may differ, they all ultimately point to one thing: joining capitalism.

To achieve financial freedom, you need to invest, buy real estate, create passive income, outsource, mine, etc. I don't know why, but I have some resistance towards these things. Indeed, joining capitalism is the fastest way to achieve financial freedom because of the power of compounding interest. Even without investing time and labor, you can still earn money.

But what about those who actually do the work? What happens to their hard work? Has capitalism taken it all away? Actually, I don't know. Truth be told, I should consider myself part of capitalism as well, as I am currently working on a service that helps capitalists earn more money.

It's just that when I see these people, I feel... Yes, they work so hard to make a living, but are we only focused on exploiting and finding ways to gain more profit, pushing capitalism to its limits? Is there anything I can do to help?

As I think about it, I realize that there is very little I can do alone. The only thing I can do is join capitalism and figure out what to do when I have more resources. Until then, I am just part of the "slightly" better-off white-collar class.

I saw someone's response before, saying that if esoteric knowledge is so popular, then writing research papers would have made people rich a long time ago. Indeed, people should be more inclined towards taking a course on a specific algorithm, preferably with LeetCode solutions. However, I don't think we should be cynical and feel like nobody understands us, but rather, we should listen to the market. Although this raises the question of whether people are more inclined towards directly monetizable activities like teaching courses rather than doing research, which truly changes people's thinking and science.

Honestly, I'm not sure what my next step should be. I'm lost every day, unsure of what to do. GG.

Well, the above is an article without any particular focus or context. Thank you, everyone.