One interesting thing is really considering whether X and Y really are independent. Much of the software world has taken the position that if Y is too big, X will stay small. This is why open-source exists, basically. So there is a dependence, at least in some markets. In other cases, having a large Y gives the creators the resources to make X much bigger.
For those who would like their work to positively impact the world, and not starve to death in the process, it's something that needs to be considered: how high of a Y is workable in the given environment?
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One interesting thing is really considering whether X and Y really are independent. Much of the software world has taken the position that if Y is too big, X will stay small. This is why open-source exists, basically. So there is a dependence, at least in some markets. In other cases, having a large Y gives the creators the resources to make X much bigger.
For those who would like their work to positively impact the world, and not starve to death in the process, it's something that needs to be considered: how high of a Y is workable in the given environment?