Marc Andreessen explains why he prioritizes satisfaction over happiness

“I don’t believe in balance. I think people are wired differently so it’s hard to generalize this kind of thing. But I am much happier and more satisfied when I’m fully committed to something. So I’m very much in favor of imbalance.”

Marc continues:

“I don’t think happiness is the thing to strive for. I think satisfaction is the thing… Satisfaction is a deeper thing which is like having found a purpose and fulfilling it. Being useful. That I’m fully delivering on the gifts that I’ve been given, that I’m net making the world better, that I’m contributing to the people around me, and that I can look back and say: ‘Wow. That was hard, but it was worth it.’ I think that generally seems to lead people to a better state than pursuit of pleasure and happiness.”

And on the relationship of money and satisfaction:

“I think Elon would be a great example of this. He’s a guy who from the day he started making money at all just plows it into the next thing. I think money is definitely an enabler for satisfaction. Let’s put it this way: money applied to happiness leads people down very dark paths. Very destructive avenues. Money applied to satisfaction, I think is a real tool.”

Full video: Lex Fridman “Marc Andreessen: Future of the Internet, Technology, and AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #386“ (Jun 2023)

P.S. We’ve put together a YouTube playlist with every Marc Andreessen insight we’ve ever shared. You can watch it here: "Best startup advice from Marc Andreessen