Opportunists: Are Some Founders Just Criminals in Disguise?
I can say this with certainty—I've seen it from the inside.
Opportunistic, greedy, morally-fluid, money-seeking founders can be worse than criminals.
At least with criminals, society recognizes they're a drain.
These founders, however, drain retail investors and early adopters all with just half-baked ideas dripping in toxic positivity, altruistic missions and cool “vibes” … bolstered of course by every engagement-farming growth hack imaginable—products often barely half as good as existing solutions, and with little genuine purpose beyond hype.
Yet, after their exit, or even just their most recent funding round… they drive off in a Lambo, showered with praise by sycophants begging to learn the supposed secrets of their “entrepreneurial genius.”
They're celebrated as heroes.
The dictionary definition of opportunist directly relates an opportunist to thieves…
but, the problem is, unlike criminals, you can't have them arrested to stop the cycle. And so they repeat it, again and again, each success erasing previous wrongs simply by some people making money along the way? Profit doesn't erase all those evils.
True founders aren't just chasing an exit or money—if they do, it shows that they cared neither about their company nor their mission, only their "big break”… and somehow this has been normalized, and celebrated!
What’s So Bad About Just Wanting to Make Money?
If your sole purpose is making money, you have no real purpose.
If your worth is measured solely by your bank account, you have no real value.
If you’re starting a business purely for money, I have zero interest in knowing you—you’re merely a leech searching for a host. I am too old and seen too much to have any patience left for that bullshit.
The fact is, the truly valuable people are talented creators, writers, designers, and builders driven by genuine purpose, and who want to truly make a difference…
Yet, we’ve mistakenly measured someone's worth by their earnings.
That's the root of the problem.
What is Real Value?
It makes me so pissed when one single person will contribute something to that earns millions, yet never see another dime from it…
A single engineer will design 90% of a product that earns millions, but never see another dime… a talented artist or designer will create something so beautiful it defines a brand forever—but because they were "just doing their job," the founder walks away owning it all, then usually sells out.
The ones with the real skill, the real soul, the real vision?
They build it.
And the opportunists?
They tend to just cash in on it.
I’ve said this before… and I will say it again…
Genuine human creativity is the most valuable resource on earth.
The right type of founders and leaders will recognize that, and reward it accordingly.
This is how your separate the opportunists from the great leaders. These are the great people we need leading the companies of tomorrow!
Passion to “make money” is not passion at all… it’s greed!
How Do We Spot an Opportunist Founder?
Not all bad actors wear a mask you can see. Some of them are polished, well dressed, and charismatic enough to make you second-guess your gut.
But if you look closely… if you know the patterns… you can spot them before they step on you to push themselves higher.
It always starts the same way, with a little ethical fluidity.
They’ll preach values when the camera’s rolling, but the second they’re behind closed doors, they’ll pivot to whatever benefits them most.
They say one thing to investors, another to customers, a third to the team.
Truth today… betrayals tomorrow.
Whichever way the wind blows, they’ll justify it.
Then comes value dilution.
At first, they have “strong beliefs”... until it costs them something… or keeps them from getting more… it’s just greed.
So those beliefs get watered down into a safe, sterile pitch anyone can agree with.
No edge, no heart, no backbone—just market-safe buzzwords designed to please as many wallets as possible.
Then over time, you’ll notice erosion of all their so called principles.
It’s never a big fall all at once… It’s tiny little compromises. A little white lie here. A sleazy deal there… each time they trade a piece of who they were for another inch forward... until one day there’s nothing left but raw greedy ambition… a pure opportunist.
That’s usually when they end up with a big payday, and another “exit” as they sell out to some big company who will probably just shut it down in a few years after they scoop up all the intellectual property.
What was once fighting for the little guy, is now handing over the keys to an old monopoly.
This is why you have to be ruthless about who you build with.
You can't let appearances fool you… opportunists are everywhere…
You can't just trust charisma, money, or a good story.
You have to watch what people actually do when nobody’s watching.
Because in the end...
It’s the builders, the makers, the artists, the creators—the ones who show up with soul, with scars, and with no plan B...
They’re the ones who actually deserve the spotlight.
And if you’re one of the real ones?
We’re rooting for you…. always.
Alright, that was all for now Rebel.
By the way… only a few know where the Rebel Speakeasy is. And now you’re one of them—grab a drink and let’s talk. We meet every Wednesday in live audio spaces on X.
Hope to see you there!
- Ani & Rick
RebelSpeakeasy.com by Ani • Rick
Find us on X @NFTrebels & @unl0c7