Business Quote by Bill Gates
“If something's expensive to develop, and somebody's not going to get paid, it won't get developed. So you decide: Do you want software to be written, or not?”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Tech Industry Forum, 2015
If development costs are high and no profit is expected, innovation stalls; decisions must weigh societal value against market incentives
In simple terms: Expensive, unprofitable projects often never happen unless we prioritize them
Key Takeaway
Consider funding models for essential but unprofitable technologies
Themes
innovation
economics
ethics
public good
technology
investment
Mood
thoughtful
concerned
analytical
Type
ethical
economic
strategic
When to use this quote
- Healthcare research
- renewable energy
- education software
- public infrastructure
- AI safety
Key Concepts
Market failure
public funding
social impact assessment
Questions to Reflect On
- Who should decide which unprofitable projects receive support?
- How can we align private incentives with public benefit?
A Different Perspective
Balancing profit motives with societal needs can be contentious
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)