

Ask HN: When is a startup a startup? - WesleyThurner

How do you define a startup?<p>When is a startup a startup?<p>ex: If I have an idea and I ask my parents for $1000, am I startup?
======
garysweaver
> A startup company or startup is a company, a partnership or temporary
> organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business
> model.[1] These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of
> development and research for markets. The term became popular
> internationally during the dot-com bubble when a great number of dot-com
> companies were founded.

> Lately, the term startup has been associated mostly with technological
> ventures designed for high-growth. Paul Graham, founder of one of the top
> startup accelerators in the world, defines a startup as: "A startup is a
> company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a
> company a startup. Nor is it necessary for a startup to work on technology,
> or take venture funding, or have some sort of "exit." The only essential
> thing is growth. Everything else we associate with startups follows from
> growth."[2]

copied from
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startup_company](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Startup_company)

[1] Blank, Steve (March 5, 2012). "Search versus Execute". Retrieved July 22,
2012.

[2] Graham, Paul (September, 2012). "Startup is growth". Retrieved Oct 18,
2012.

------
lmm
A small business that is attempting to become a large one.

But really, talking about the meanings of words is pointless. Try asking a
more practical question about the thing that consists of you having an idea
and asking your parents for $1000.

~~~
WesleyThurner
Thanks for the response. I have created a few low quality android apps and
make about $30-40 a month. It is a hobby, hopefully something more in the
future.

I'm just amazed at how freely the term 'startup' is used to label anything and
everything.

