Agreed. If you "create demand", it usually just means people are spending on the thing you provide, and consequently less on something else. Ultimately it goes back to a few basic needs, something like Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
And then there's followup needs, such as "if I need to get somewhere to have a social life, I have a need for transportation following from that". A long chain of such follow-up needs gives us agile consultants and what not, but one can usually follow it back to the source need by following the money.
Startup folks like to highlight how they "create value", they added something to the world that wasn't there before and they get to collect the cash for it.
But assuming that population growth will eventually stagnate, I find it hard to not ultimately see it all as a zero sum game. Limited people with limited time and money, that's limited demand. What companies ultimately do, is fight for each other for that. And when the winners emerge and the dust settles, supply can go down to meet the demand.
And then there's followup needs, such as "if I need to get somewhere to have a social life, I have a need for transportation following from that". A long chain of such follow-up needs gives us agile consultants and what not, but one can usually follow it back to the source need by following the money.
Startup folks like to highlight how they "create value", they added something to the world that wasn't there before and they get to collect the cash for it.
But assuming that population growth will eventually stagnate, I find it hard to not ultimately see it all as a zero sum game. Limited people with limited time and money, that's limited demand. What companies ultimately do, is fight for each other for that. And when the winners emerge and the dust settles, supply can go down to meet the demand.