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You can take the right path and in the end no-one wants to use your product because it's not as engaging.

Instagram tried to take the "good" path in 2014 and lost 90% market share to TikTok who attentionmaxxed things. Then they had to take the exploitative path to claw back users.

As long as it's not regulated for everyone at the same time, you need to do this for survival of your product.

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maybe that product doesn't deserve to survive.

"Hmmm, but if I cap the Torment Nexus, the competing Torment Core will win out, we can't have that!"

It's more like it doesn't matter if you sell the most organic, free range, ethically sourced, nutritious, tasty ice cream if your competition is allowed to put cocaine in theirs and get all your customers.

TikTok would survive and do just fine even if Instagram decided to cede the market to them

I am afraid there is a demand for the torment nexus, and until govt steps in, you're out of luck and behavioural surplus is there for the taking by any means.

"It's ok that I devote my career to preying on people's mental weaknesses and getting them addicted, because the government isn't regulating it."

I think I'd need to take a zofran if I met you IRL.

I am well aware that being more evil can be profitable.

Being evil for no gain whatsoever is quite extreme absurdity, though it also happens to some.

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