Watch the money
sethgodin.typepad.com
sethgodin.typepad.com
37Signals have always built apps that solve problems they've had.
http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch02_Whats_Your_Problem.php
If you're working on an app that solves your own problem (and you believe that the problem you have is not unique) then the likelihood that your startup is going to succeed must be much higher.
If you think something is important, for real, you will prioritize and at least give something even if you have little.
The naive giver thinks that all or most of the money is going directly to the part of the non-profit that does the charitable work. In reality, that part may only see very little (or even none if the donation isn't high enough) of the money. A lot of it may go to administrative costs and internal-facing departments. Like any large organization, a large non-profit has a lot of overhead.
I'd like to know if there's a way to know for sure how your donation is actually being used. It would be good that if you found out your money wasn't being used satisfactorily, you could demand your donation back and it would all be legally binding.
My favourite counter-example: the millionaire who doesn't spend money.
The fact is that the waiter, the consultant, the ad agency and the charity employee have every reason to ignore Seth Godin's judgment of their individual, subjective spending preferences and investment principles.
Also, my main point was in my last paragraph.
A better software analogy would be a software development company that doesn't like using software.