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> You'll get diluted, replaced and kicked out the moment traction starts gaining.

This is just straight up wrong. You don't HAVE to enter the VC cycle of endless raising, and if they're wanting to replace/kick you out, what are you doing wrong?

> eventually jump ship and become a captain of your own vessel.

That's literally what being a co-founder is. You might be even split with someone, but you are still very much the captain.