> What’s the difference between a great idea, and a early-stage VC-fundable business?<p>I think we forget that a restaurant can be a great idea. It only makes sense for a restaurant to be an "early-stage VC-fundable business" if it's going to turn into a huuuuuuge chain.<p>But more importantly, the story of McDonald's rings true: McDonald's founder didn't do the work of expanding the chain.<p>In the VC world, a successful investment has a 10x return on the investment. A great idea may turn into a great small business with organic growth. It can provide for a career without needing VC investment! This can be a small group of consultants, or someone who builds an SAAS business.<p>(Edit) But, the thing about restaurant vs tech is that there's plenty of room for 1000's of small burger joints to co-exist with McDonald's. It's a lot harder for 1000s of "Joe's Git hosting" to co-exist with Github. Thus, it's often harder to see how a "great idea" in tech can turn into a small no-VC business.