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Whenever you see “startup” on hacker news, people are almost always referring to the aim for massive VC funding, exponential growth, get big or die trying types

Whenever you see “startup” on hacker news, people are almost always referring to the aim for massive VC funding, exponential growth, get big or die trying types of companies. Paul Graham wrote an essay which differentiated startups from other new businesses based solely on growth: http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html

rorykoehler 7y ago
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.
- JasonFruit 7y ago
  They're not really making an argument here, just pointing out how people who use the word "startup" intend it to be interpreted.
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    > people Some people.
- dean177 7y ago
  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.
- ryanSrich 7y ago
  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.
  - rorykoehler 7y ago
    If you start a company that competes head to head with a vc steroid company using the same technologies but do it without vc is that a startup?

rorykoehler 7y ago

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.

JasonFruit 7y ago
They're not really making an argument here, just pointing out how people who use the word "startup" intend it to be interpreted.
- jacquesm 7y ago
  > people Some people.
dean177 7y ago
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.
ryanSrich 7y ago
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.
- rorykoehler 7y ago
  If you start a company that competes head to head with a vc steroid company using the same technologies but do it without vc is that a startup?