Startups and PhDs do tend to attract intellectually curious people. The startup scene seems to be benefiting from the brain-drain away from academia due to push

Startups and PhDs do tend to attract intellectually curious people. The startup scene seems to be benefiting from the brain-drain away from academia due to push and pull factors. But there are some differences: A startup involves working in a team; for a PhD, you're mostly on your own. A startup has no guarantee of success; for a PhD, there is an institutional bias in getting you through.