Startups are not magic. They don't change the laws of wealth creation. They just represent a point at the far end of the curve. There is no conservation law at work here: if you want to make a million dollars, you have to endure a million dollars' worth of pain.

People think that what a business does is make money. But money is just the intermediate stage -- just a shorthand -- for whatever people want. What most business really do is make wealth. They do something people want.