
Once Again, A Startup is Defined As …. : East Coast Blogging - zaveri
http://eastcoastblogging.com/2008/09/18/once-again-a-startup-is-defined-as/
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tptacek
"Startup" doesn't actually mean anything, but I'll remind you that in the late
'90s, there were "startups" on the NASDAQ with 8 figure market caps.

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pxlpshr
Yep, which brings me to my interpretation of a "start up".

In my mind, a startup as defined by an entrepreneur is a tech-focused company
shooting for rapid growth, with a liquidity event in mind.

On the other hand, a small business is built to operate for a substantial time
period (sometimes generational) while providing a steady and reliable stream
of income. Business growth is typically a lot slower (often intentionally
controlled) but more sure-footed.

A vast portion of the multi-millionaires in this country are small-business
owners...

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tptacek
This is an idiosyncratically YC definition of the term "startup". Go to
NEWS.GOOGLE.COM, search for "startup", and you'll see the term used in the
mainstream press in pretty much every conceivable way.

The word "startup" to me distinguishes new independent nationwide business
from corporate spinoffs, established niche companies, and regional businesses.
It doesn't have any more meaning than that.

You can say startup means "shoot the moon" all you want, but I'm going to keep
calling my company a bootstrapped startup.

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brk
Everyone has their own definition of "startup" For a lot of the people here,
it seems that startup==web2.0.

I tend more towards young companies that are building a hardware product
(containing various proportions of hardware and software invention), when I
hear "startup" I tend to think more along the lines of a new physical device.

To me, 2 guys collaborating on a project at night is not a "startup" it's an
"experiment". And those 2 guys might think my job at a hardware-type company
with a couple-dozen-million in VC dollars with an established process is
"working for a big corporation". Doesn't really matter though, ultimately I
think "Startup" is one of those words like "Pretty" it means something a
little different to everyone, but the common denominator is that it tends to
also be synonymous with "Good"...

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josefresco
Depends on your perspective. To those who organize and put on TC50 (and who
fund them), these are small fish and would fit the 'startup' definition
easily.

For regular 'joes' like you and I who are struggling to get _any_ funding
these are far, far beyond startups and represent success stories.

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mrtron
Getting funding does not mean you are a success story whatsoever.

I would say if these guys had millions in sales coming in - they are becoming
success stories.

