[proexploit]

I think it's a lot harder to pick a good business than you think. Many "micro" sized businesses have significant issues and avoiding them requires you to know all the right questions to ask.

If you are able to make the right pick and the size of the deal is something you're comfortable seeing go to zero, it may be a good learning experience.

However, you'll be learning to acquire and keep a business alive, not start a business through this. Some things may remain the same depending on the stage of the business but if you're looking for experience starting a business, I think starting on and failing will be better training (and free)

[mrkentutbabi]

Yeah I expect this. I think I would like to start from something I am somewhat familiar with.

Interesting note about "acquiring and keeping a business alive, not starting a business", I am under the impression that these two skills are related, if not the same.

[proexploit]

They're definitely related (and more so the closer to start a business is). Depending on the business you may be benefiting from research, product/market fit, marketing, experiments, and on and on.

It's not that the stuff you would do isn't relevant to starting your business but that it's not the complete picture.