What's bad about rent-seeking behavior? If anything, that is where the business starts (as opposed to a job: meaning, something which has a value for which it can be sold. you can sell a business but can't sell your job). A business is an unfair advantage which creates rent, and thus has a value. Say Facebook has an advantage of network effect, so any new social network can't overtake it because it is a catch-22: you need to have many people already in to get any people in. That is an unfair advantage (Facebook founders could have been a lot more stupid and your product may be actually a lot better, but it doesn't matter), and it creates rent, and is worth billions. No business can create value or profit without having that. Business is rent on capital, either invested or created.