Of course, there are no guarantees that a startup will be successful. But it wasn't just luck. Myself and others worked hard to create something valuable. If I wanted the safety of a paycheck while working just the minimum hours, I would not have made the leap.
My criticism was of those who join a startup for the chance at a payout but don't want to put in the effort to help make that a likelihood.
The problem with founders is that, in my experience, they usually can't tell who's good and who's just being useless for 12 hours in a row at the office. So they use "hours" as their metrics to decide who's the best.
Agreed that success such as yours is not only luck!
But as a co-founder of a SaaS company that has survived over a decade, I would stress that luck* is also part of it.
Many people work very hard at a startup and the thing just crashes and burns, sometimes very quickly. It's not just hard work and being competent at your job - other things outside of your control or influence have to happen to align, too.
* I think "luck" is a pretty good descriptive word for things outside of your control and influence going your way.
My criticism was of those who join a startup for the chance at a payout but don't want to put in the effort to help make that a likelihood.