[codecamper]

Here is an idea:

  Don't take the Saudi money.   Don't take any money.  

  Just build it, and ship it.  Work a regular job and work on your startup at night.  

  Create a product and charge very little for it.  Wipe out the competition with a better / cheaper product.  

  Once you think you are having an effect, short your competitor.  Continue to ship your as good or better product for 1/3 the cost.  

  Take down the world powers.

  Just an idea.

[yowlingcat]

I like your style. I may be skeptical about how practical this approach is, but I sure do like the style.

[tachyonbeam]

It might work for software startups, but for almost any kind of hardware or biotech startup, you're going to need funding.

[mch82]

A key to changing this is to invest in public research universities that release research papers publicly & emphasize reducing the cost of manufacturing & distribution.

Another key is to fund nonprofit foundations that act as custodians of science & engineering tech released under open source licenses.

Software startups are possible because manufacturing costs have been minimized to near zero & key tech is effectively public domain. Hardware is about 20 years behind the curve, but open hardware licenses are appearing & patents expire quicker than copyrights.

[tachyonbeam]

I would add to that: encouraging people to choose open standards and technologies over closed systems that promote vendor lock-in.