Actually they often knew they're exceptional. This is a bit later than the first few years, but all of Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Apple were very highly prof

Actually they often knew they're exceptional. This is a bit later than the first few years, but all of Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Apple were very highly profitable (on gaap, not some xxx-adjusted ebidta bullshit) at their IPO, and for a while before, with hockey stick revenue growth. And the IPOs happened much earlier in the company lifecycle back then. Look up old S-1s.