I tried to solve the problem by leaving Silicon Valley, and writing software I believe in, and doing the best I can. For me it’s never been primarily about money. I like money, up to a point — but I’m really in it for the wonderful things you can do with the tech. It’s an end in itself, not a means to an end.

That’s Dave Winer, in a post that’s nominally about Michael Arrington and venture funding and Silicon Valley culture, but that’s really about what those of us who love the web strive to do. It’s remarkable how well those thoughts parallel the recent conversations I’ve had with friends who are among the bestentrepreneurs around.

Sometimes it feels overwhelmingly difficult to communicate these values to a new generation of entrepreneurs who aren’t being shown good role models, but I remain optimistic that we can make this mindset the default.