By the time we can afford to pay 5(!), let alone 40 people to run our infrastructure, I don't think you can call us a startup anymore. This is my point exactly

By the time we can afford to pay 5(!), let alone 40 people to run our infrastructure, I don't think you can call us a startup anymore. This is my point exactly. Until you've found product market fit, the size of the infrastructure team "once you're big" should be the least of your concerns. Personally I don't understand how any tech company with a 5+ person infrastructure team can still be called a startup (unless the infrastructure is the product ofc, eg if you're a PaaS or something)