I think it comes down to the fact that, considering the work involved and that the majority of startups fail, it's never an economically rational decision to wo

I think it comes down to the fact that, considering the work involved and that the majority of startups fail, it's never an economically rational decision to work on a startup. Realistic to most people means in the "real world" you follow a safe familiar progression from school to entry level job to management to retirement. There are guide rails and evaluations along the way to make sure you're on track. You found a startup because you wouldn't be happy doing anything else. I can't imagine getting a real job. Ever. For me, the set of things I could be doing with my life is {startup}. I remember seeing a quote from some very successful founder saying that the only reason he went into entrepreneurship is because he was completely unemployable.