The size of a company, in revenues, is distinct from its profit margin. The latter determines whether it could pay its workers more. So "Surely a hug… - Paul Graham

It's a mistake to treat investors' reasons for rejecting you as a guide to what you need to focus on, for three separate reasons: (a) much of the time they're lying, (b) when they're not, they're often mistaken, and (c) fundraising is not the primary goal anyway.

You need three things to create a successful startup: to start with good people, to make something customers actually want, and to spend as little money as possible.

Everyday words are inherently imprecise. They work well enough in everyday life that you don’t notice. Words seem to work, just as Newtonian physics seems to. But you can always make them break if you push them far enough.