Ask HN: Why don't more entrepreneurs focus on lifestyle businesses?

Its so cheap to start a company these days that I'm surprised more aren't trying to do it without VC.

Most VCs are very sharp and can add value beyond investment, but I'm amazed at how much focus is placed on securing funding - rather than building a cash-flow generating business. Building with VC is only one way to build a company.

A team can build product as a side-gig, test the market and run until enough cash is generated to start paying salaries and working on it full-time. You won't have a fancy office in SoMa and catered meals, but you also don't need to live in the bay area. And you won't need to worry about fundraising, dilution, down-rounds, and liquidity preferences.

Why are entrepreneurs so wired to think about starting companies that require VC?

I agree with privong. Hacker News, Indie Hackers, and Product Hunt show lots of such activity. A major part of the absence is so few people know about this option and so don't choose it. Cynically, I also think many aspiring founders are in it for the VC money and the lifestyle VC money makes possible.

There's a whole sub culture around it that has been on Hacker News for a decade.

Go look up people like Basecamp/37 signals/DHH and Amy Hoy/Stacking the bricks. Loads of articles about bootstrapping. Another one who wrote about this a lot was Buffer, but they changed their tune and took funding.

There's just less entrepreneur stories these days on HN so you don't see much about it, to me HN has shifted its focus these last few years from starting businesses in tech to tech company news and programming.

I think the majority of businesses actually do bootstrap / focus on organic growth that is self-funded. The reason you don't hear more about them is due to an entire industry existing around startups and as a result they (i.e. those in the startup industry including those running them) end up 'talking their book' as often and loudly as they can. There really isn't a comparable industry around lifestyle/slow-and-steady types of businesses. So when you see people hyping startups, follow the money and you'll often see what their motivation is. Usually it is self-interest rather than altruism that motivates the conversation.

Thanks, I'll take a look. Funny that the stories have changed so much. I feel like its never been easier to start a company. Perhaps comp is so high that most folks have no incentive to leave BigTechCo.