> The characteristics in that paragraph don't apply to new mom & pop restaurants, dry cleaners, new law practices, etc
I fully expect the founders of those businesses originally have dreams of their business becoming the next F500. But when validation fails...
> and very often associated with funding from VC.
If you keep reading we get to: "Unlike an entrepreneur, a start up founder doesn’t have a major financial motive." I'm not sure that is in line with the YC program. It is clearly focused on the huge exit.
> I fully expect the founders of those businesses originally have dreams of their business becoming the next F500. But when validation fails...
I take it you've not met many such people or business owners. No one except the utterly delusional would think a mom & pop restaurants, dry cleaners, new law practices, etc. would become a F500 company. Amazingly people start companies for reasons other than becoming a F500 company one day.
> No one except the utterly delusional would think a mom & pop restaurants, dry cleaners, new law practices, etc. would become a F500 company.
Do they fail at achieving F500 status at a higher or lower rate than "startups"? Who then is delusional - those who have realizable visions, or the strivers who dream of unicorn-status and still fail.
> No one except the utterly delusional would think a mom & pop restaurants ... would become a F500 company.
The F500 has quite a few restaurants on the list. Other than maybe Starbucks, it seems all of them have humble "mom & pop" beginnings.
Who opens a business thinking "I hope customer response is so poor that I will struggle and never be able to grow"? That is often the outcome – but when is that the dream?
I fully expect the founders of those businesses originally have dreams of their business becoming the next F500. But when validation fails...
> and very often associated with funding from VC.
If you keep reading we get to: "Unlike an entrepreneur, a start up founder doesn’t have a major financial motive." I'm not sure that is in line with the YC program. It is clearly focused on the huge exit.