I think I’m a little of both. What I’m doing right now is developing my own programming language. This is a “change the world” kind of project but I don’t expect to repeat it ever again. I view it as more of a personal rite of passage.
What would be my dream job would be able to do both - change the world and build a great business. For example, I sometimes fantasize about doing motivational-type speaking on the subjects that I write a lot about on these forums (how to be happy, what morality and law really are, the importance of escaping the pervasive fears in society and just doing what you want to do with your life, etc.) I cannot even conceive how to go about getting something like that working.
I guess what I’m saying is I have absolutely no clue whatsoever what it really means (nuts and bolts, day-to-day activity) to start/run a business. When you say something like “you could build a business” I am baffled by what that even means.