Yes, but also consider that most of those were smaller businesses with different revenue prospects. It’s still an accomplishment but the feel good stories which feature in the news are things like “Mark started a billion dollar company in his dorm room”, not “Lan worked 80 hour weeks to start a solid restaurant which provides a decent middle class income but no likelihood of becoming actually rich”.
I mean we're talking about an article on lifestyle businesses so going from "I can't bootstrap a lifestyle business on my own" to "I can't bootstrap a billion dollar business on my own" seems to be moving the goal post.
We’re talking about an article which also talked about the allure of growing billion dollar companies which YC uses to recruit. My point was simply that there’s a LOT of marketing for “be your own boss” concepts which sound like you’re a lot better off than, say, the typical immigrant who works hard and ends up with a small business paying a decent but not noteworthy income. Those narratives rarely end with “you too could own a laundromat and convenience store in Flushing!”
It’s not just about setting realistic expectations but also recognizing how often there are opportunities which only people with assets can take. For example, being married to someone high income with health insurance means that you are able to take a chance even if it won’t pay the bills immediately whereas someone else is limited to what they can do on the weekends.
