>We need to define risk here. Agreed. 1. Risk to your savings and time. This is what you are always risking when you start a start-up. A safety net would mean

>We need to define risk here. Agreed. 1. Risk to your savings and time. This is what you are always risking when you start a start-up. A safety net would mean that you'd not starve if the company failed and you couldn't get another job right away, but doesn't mean you'd be living your cushy ideal life even if the business failed. 2. Risk to your LIFE. I submit that, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should starting a business actually put you at risk of DYING. And yet that's exactly what happens if you decide to forego the expense of health insurance (until if & when "no preexisting conditions" takes effect in 2014) and you find out that you have a life-threatening condition. I think there's plenty of stress and risk in starting a business without worrying about starving or your health. "Failure" is harsh PERIOD. And if you have a family you're trying to support, the above two points will likely prevent you from starting a company if there's no safety net. So the many people who would be willing to start companies WITH a safety net means more people who would roll the dice. Many would fail, and that's FINE, because the rest would create jobs.