That essay is incredibly self serving. I think it should be taken with a pinch of salt. At very least any counter point to it shouldn't be immediately shut down with a link back to the essay. It's text book circular logic.
By most accounts, PG's definition is the accepted definition within SV, so it's important to understand that most (99%?) VCs are looking at companies growing at breakneck speed.
Lifestyle businesses, or companies not looking to grow very fast don't need VC money, so I really don't understand everyone's obsession with making "VC sustainable".
If you want to start a business and require initial capital then take out a bank loan. It's relatively simple. But...that's not a startup, again, by most accounts. If you want to use some random definition found on the internet go for it, but that's not status quo.
I wasn’t endorsing the essay or advocating for these hyper growth vc fuelled businesses, just pointing out that this checklist doesn’t apply to the kinds of businesses you were talking about if you accept this (common?) distinction between ‘startups’ and other kinds of new businesses.
