While exchanging emails with a friend about doing our own thing, I asked myself:

Why the hell do I make Listary? Why am I putting so much time and effort into something that, in the end, doesn’t make enough money?”

This is what I concluded:

1. I know we’re doing something good and learning a lot.
2. Lots of people way smarter than us, whose work I admire, keep telling us they like our work too. Compliments don’t pay the bills, but keep us going.
3. Enough faith — or naiveté — in believing this is a time of sacrifice, and things will pay off in the end. Like Conan O’Brien said, “If you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

Works for us.