This is a good discussion. The flipper mindset is probably localized to software tech, and maybe that mindset is required. The reason is the constant change of technology, the shifting attention span of web users, and the maturity of the field make it harder to build a "normal" sustainable business. So, most people take the path with less friction: build something that gets enough attention to sell, profits optional. Lack of technical depth and, hence, barriers to competition are factors, too.
I don't think the flipper mindset is unique to software. Day traders flip stocks, sometimes in seconds, and a lot of people in Miami (and elsewhere) just took a bath trying to flip condos (buying them in big blocks and then trying to unload them on out-of-towners for ridiculous prices). The general get-rich-quick scheme exists in every business.
I think the best software is built by people who are not looking to flip. Linus has been with his baby for over a decade. Richard Stallman even longer. Bill Gates had a lot of trouble giving up his software products, and Marc Andreessen said yesterday that his favorite part was building out the company... being a startup was just how he got to build companies. I think people looking to pump and dump will just do the minimum it takes to get by, and it shows.
