Point taken. I suppose for some it's a matter of degrees -- determination doesn't imply being an asshole, but sometimes really pushing yourself can lead you to take energy from the things you'd be doing to make the people around you happy and divert that energy into your own work. That is, you don't become cold so much as you sacrifice a bit of warmth.
I have a problem with the $20k+ business software industry: if you spend time adding anything to the software that isn't part of the checklist of features the customers want to see before, you're wasting time and money.
The customers make decisions in terms of things like keeping up with competitors ("we have to upgrade because they did"), and risk to their personal careers ("I dont want to rock the boat"), and compliance with industry standards/buzzwords ("Your competitor supports XYZ, why don't you?")
They want to hear that your software is scalable, easy to use, secure, and well-designed, but they don't actually care if it is or not, and won't even check.
If I had to sell a product that had sub-standard usability or UI response times, I'd feel like an asshole. To others, its just how you do business.
If I had to sell a product that had sub-standard usability or UI response times, I'd feel like an asshole.
Then don't.
Excellent usability and response time are minimum requirements for any software.
That part's not true. You may have to be in some areas of business, including perhaps the world of $20k software, but I know plenty of successful people who aren't assholes.
You do definitely have to be determined. But determination doesn't imply being an asshole.