"Start a game company" is definitely not a "secret to success." It's not even a reliable path to joy, as plenty of deathmarch veterans can attest.
It is true that there are ways to succeed other than easing pain. Helping people make more money is one. Creating joy is, indeed, another. But the beauty of targeting pain is that people who have it are not hard to find - they're the ones complaining really loudly - and the ones you find will often pay for relief. Whereas nobody was wandering around five years ago complaining about the lack of a bird-throwing game and offering money to whoever came up with one.
It is true that there are ways to succeed other than easing pain. Helping people make more money is one. Creating joy is, indeed, another. But the beauty of targeting pain is that people who have it are not hard to find - they're the ones complaining really loudly - and the ones you find will often pay for relief. Whereas nobody was wandering around five years ago complaining about the lack of a bird-throwing game and offering money to whoever came up with one.