[titanomachy]

"It's more realistic [to create a billion-dollar company] than to become an astronaut"

You're missing half of the equation. There are a relatively tiny number of people (I assume mostly scientists and military pilots) who have set themselves the goal of becoming an astronaut and are working towards it in a concrete way.

In contrast, virtually everyone is trying to make money, and a huge number of people create companies. Not everyone has "a billion dollars" as their specific goal, but the implicit goal of "as much money as possible" is not uncommon.

[throwitaway6512]

Having a goal of “as much money as possible“ is very different from the VC fueled goal of Billion dollars or bust. Trying to draw parallels between everyone who starts a company and the select few who aim specifically to become astronauts is like comparing attempts at moonshot companies with everyone who “wants to do something in stem”

[pm90]

If you think the majority of business owners don't want their businesses to grow....you're in for a rude awakening.

The allure of technology in general and silicon valley in particular is the amount of sheer wealth that you can create very quickly.

[BoiledCabbage]

And the point he's making is that "wanting your business to grow" has almost absolutely nothing to do with wanting a billion dollar business.

It's like an athlete saying "I want to increase my endurance" vs "I want to be am ultramarathoner".

The way you train, what you do, how you spend your time, how much time you spend, the risks you take - entirely different worlds. Wanting a billion dollar business is not remotely in the minds of 99%+ of business owners.