It's not just about talent. It's about (among other things, I assume): - Wealth (exit = cash = ability to work for equity for an indeterminate period) - Avail

It's not just about talent. It's about (among other things, I assume): - Wealth (exit = cash = ability to work for equity for an indeterminate period) - Availability (recent exit = not currently engaged with another project) The first is the biggie. I'd say 99.9% of people on HN can't say "I will eschew all paying work for up to 2 years and can toss a few hundred grand of my own money in if we need a cash infusion". Of course, the recent exit thing is a problem, too. Most buyers lock in the founders for 1-2 years, so recent exiteers will have golden handcuffs.