A farmer and business owner sparked a heated discussion on Reddit recently after posting a fiery critique of what he sees as the growing disconnect between real-world opportunity and the obsession with tech startups.
Opportunity Is Everywhere, Are People Just Lazy?
“I run a farm and several related businesses,” wrote the person on the r/Entrepreneur subreddit. “There is an entire real world out there under the sun—of work and opportunity and entrepreneurial possibility. And getting on here you wouldn’t even know it exists.”
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His frustration centered on the overwhelming focus among aspiring entrepreneurs on building software-as-a-service, or SAAS, products, especially those powered by artificial intelligence, instead of providing tangible services in trades or physical labor. “Everyone wants to find the easy way, the cheat code, the hack, the scalable scam they can pitch to investors and use someone else’s money to live on,” he said. “No one wants to work, and an entrepreneur who won’t work is like a bank without money.”
The farmer highlighted growing unmet demand for tradespeople: mobile mechanics, ag-tech technicians, well servicing, and tire repair. “There’s a business model in every one of those for someone who’s willing to get out of bed,” he wrote. “I need a new tire guy and another mechanic and at least three ag technology technicians.”
He argued that instead of building tools for industries they don't understand, wannabe founders should learn a useful skill and serve real-world needs. “You are trying to sell your ignorance as a virtue, and wondering why you have no buyers.”
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The comment section erupted.
Some users pushed back, accusing the OP of glossing over the advantages he likely had. “All this is easy to say when four prior generations laid the groundwork for the OP to step in,” one person wrote. Another noted, “You inherit it and then receive government subsidies.”
Others pointed to the high barriers to entry. “To start being able to make money in a farm or changing tires you have to be able to afford the asset,” one commenter said. “Look at farmland prices, tractors, feed or seed, buildings, etc.”
Still, many agreed with the core message. One person wrote, “I built a pretty big manufacturing company from nothing over 20 years. I am flooded with opportunities daily. These get-rich-quick design-an-app f*cks don’t get it. Get out where sh*t happens and you’ll see it.”
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Another, who had battled addiction and homelessness, shared: “I was homeless, addicted and living in a bush in spring 2018. Got clean 2019 and started my business in 2023. Now I’m on track to do $175K this season with my landscaping business. No loans, no debt, no investors.”
Some saw opportunity in the middle ground: bringing real-world knowledge and tech together. The farmer himself noted there’s real potential in tech-savvy folks helping with farm data and equipment software. But he remained skeptical of outsiders. “You have no idea what my workflow is, and you can’t possibly understand it without experience in my industry,” he said.
His core advice? “Learn a skill. Do it well. Be useful. Make money.”
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