Hi John — I agree with you that some of the ‘start-up’ trendiness has gotten out of control. I even wrote a post about a tech start-up executive that thought Harley-Davidson, which produced $750M of profit, paid $250M of dividends to owners and paid another $200M of interest or so to lenders , was ‘not that exciting of a business’. You’re right — at the end of the day, it’s a business — plain and simple. Those that seek the attention of being ‘trendy’ by being a start-up are no different than some of the arrogance you see among some pre-med/pre-law students and even at the ranks of attorneys and doctors. Those involved just may feel proud about what they are trying to create. But, I agree some want ‘sympathy’ for short term struggles. I chose my path — left a job of 10 years to start something I thought had legs. Paychecks were few and far between, but I knew I was getting into. I have a soft spot for start-ups in my heart. At 19 and in college, I unexpectedly found myself a father — and ‘starting up’ a web design business was the only way I was able to finish school and make enough money to support a family while I finished my degree. I fell in love with the rewards and power of creating something from nothing to make the lives of your loved ones and provide rewards to clients and customers with your own vision and resources. There are a lot of genuine ‘start-up’ guys out there like me that care about producing tangible business results. And yes, there are some that just like to say ‘look at me’ and not do anything — but that exists in any industry. Great read!