One of the things that bothers me about the startup ecosystem is how much it's oriented around VC. There's nothing wrong with VC, but you also have to understand that they have a specific business model and are looking for only a specific type of startup to invest in. They want the companies that are small enough that they can buy a big chunk for relatively cheap, and ambitious enough that they might possibly have ultra 1000x unicorn growth. They know that most will fail; that's fine, they intend to make it all up on the superstar.
It's perfectly fine to start a company that's only going to grow 10x or 20x best-case. VCs won't be interested in you, but that's fine, you don't necessarily need investment.
It's perfectly fine to start a company that's only going to grow 10x or 20x best-case. VCs won't be interested in you, but that's fine, you don't necessarily need investment.