> pure "startup" where your real product is more likely to be the company itself What? How do you possibly consider built-to-flip companies to be the "pure" st

> pure "startup" where your real product is more likely to be the company itself What? How do you possibly consider built-to-flip companies to be the "pure" startups? Wikipedia defines a startup as "a company, a partnership or temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model" (emphasis mine) The "pure" startups are companies that will last for decades or more and will actually change the world, such as SpaceX and Tesla. These companies live or die on the revenue they bring in. They are real companies, not some shell built on hype like you describe (barely better than a Ponzi scheme). Besides, even a built-to-flip company would be better off getting revenue than not. If the revenue numbers aren't high enough, keep building them higher, and don't tell them to potential acquirers until they are high enough to be impressive. -- EDIT: The now-deleted parent comment said: So much depends on what your goals are/how speculative your venture is. If you're in business to make a living and build up some sort of business in the traditional sense, selling your product at a profit is probably your top priority. Alternatively, if you've got the backing and you're just going pure "startup" where your real product is more likely to be the company itself, there is some hazard in making the upside of your efforts tangible. With actual numbers, you risk your valuation being objectively quantified rather than via hype, pro-forma speculation or traffic. Far fewer of these projects succeed, but when they do, they are likely to be the ones making the news.