Payne is not deep in the bubble. He just has a very, very firm grasp of what makes him happy. Consider:
"As above, I’m not talking about size or scale, or about maximizing profit."
"What matters is how you can help the most people with what you do."
"That said, there’s nothing wrong with starting small (we all have to, inherently), or even with staying small if that’s what best suits the mechanics of your business."
His argument is more nuanced than "start up and grow big." He explicitly says as much in his article.
You mean like posts about not following your passion? Or following the money? Or telling everyone to chill the fuck out? [0, 1, 2] Are you seriously complaining about sanctimonious blog posts?
A quick peek at your blog suggests Pot and Kettle are having a conversation right now.
Let's take a look at the difference between my writing and his:
1. I don't tell people what to do.
2. I don't tell people that they should do what I say -- FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD -- because doing what makes them happy is "not living up to their potential" (paraphrase)
3. I don't rip apart any individual's work, or finger them as a case study in what not to do -- or, much worse, accuse them of "duping credulous customers into overpaying for..."
Take my "Don't Follow Your Passion" post. What do I say? I don't tell people they have to do anything. I give them options and scenarios to help them seek their own happiness.
Example:
"Likewise, if you love slinging code, but hate interacting with people who don’t understand you immediately, then you’re going to be miserable doing training or providing support of any kind. If you love creating dramatic illustrations of people and places, but chafe at people who tell you what to do, being a freelance illustrator is going to rub you raw."
Or here's the whole thesis from "Chill The Fuck Out":
"Make things. Help people. Be happy."
And my actual prescription for people who need to chill?
"If these simple, deeply mundane ideas make you feel challenged and insecure about what you do or what you want, make you feel like striking out, go back to Hacker News. Go read the 98% of tech media that supports your viewpoint.
In other words: Chill the fuck out, Dominant Paradigm. This is not for you."
In other words... unlike what al3x wrote, I gave multiple different paths for people to choose.
There is a huge difference between preaching passionately -- and actually, honest to god telling people what to do, insulting their work, telling them their little dreams are not good enough for THE WORLD.
The only difference between you and Payne is the density of your startup advice. He jammed it all into one post, while you've diffused it over XX entries. Otherwise, the spirit of your posts and Payne's post -- namely, that you and him both have Great Advice To Offer -- is the same.
"As above, I’m not talking about size or scale, or about maximizing profit."
"What matters is how you can help the most people with what you do."
"That said, there’s nothing wrong with starting small (we all have to, inherently), or even with staying small if that’s what best suits the mechanics of your business."
His argument is more nuanced than "start up and grow big." He explicitly says as much in his article.