Two explanations: 1) The cost of starting Apple today would be much lower than it was two decades ago. However, the cost and complexity of starting a computer

Two explanations: 1) The cost of starting Apple today would be much lower than it was two decades ago. However, the cost and complexity of starting a computer company that is truly groundbreaking by today's standards is just as high, if not higher. 2) The cost remains constant, but the price of startups, as set by investors, is actually getting higher. Anyone could make a Facebook in 1998 at approximately the same cost (even though servers were more expensive), but no one would have valued it at $15bn. Pricing would either go back down or the change in economic thinking (i.e., advertiseming is more important than hard cash sales) would become the standard.