But was it by accident? They had a template to work from. The original idea behind Digg was to fix what Kevin perceived was broken with Slashdot. They did that. Mission accomplished. Could have been a fine small/lifestyle business for years. Taking VC cash and everything that necessarily followed was what killed them.
Yes, this is the standard (and often correct) refrain - but think about it from the founders perspective:
He risks 0 of his own funds to have a shot at getting rich and never having to work again; he gets the excitement of growing a company to grapple with giants and take over markets; and even if he fails, the name recognition he obtained during the journey ensures he'll have his pick of lucrative future gigs.
THAT's why so few tech lifestyle businesses stay that size, and it's all very logical really.
