I get where you’re coming from and the argument is not in bad faith. A startup looks to turn an idea into reality and make it self-sustainable and profitable.

I get where you’re coming from and the argument is not in bad faith. A startup looks to turn an idea into reality and make it self-sustainable and profitable. They will ofter make compromises in order to accelerate their growth (and some things that VC make them do make zero sense if you’re not considering the hyper growth scenario). A country, imho, offers a framework for its citizens and does not optimize for government growth or government profitability. They don’t need yo justify their existence and don’t need to be profitable to accomplish their mission. This framework offers a multitude of “services” and enables businesses and private citizens to exist + offers them stability needed. By any means it’s not a startup and should not be looked at through the lens of a startup