Comment by JohnFen

> if other people like the idea and want to help contribute via an investment, why not?

Indeed! But VC investors are a very different animal than other investors (who may not even be investing cash -- in my past ventures, more than half of my investors were my vendors who invested in my company via their products and services instead of money).

If you're starting the sort of business that needs an enormous amount of startup capital, then VC is where you turn. If not, then you're far better off going with normal investors.

What VC wants to see is not the same as what other investors want to see, and finding the right expectation to match your business goals is a critical part of success.