[zachalexander]

> When did founding a startup become about proving how brave you are?

It's not. What I was trying to say (perhaps unclearly) is it seems like you're arguing a moral point, that since VCs can diversify to reduce their risk, it's only fair that founders get to do the same.

And that's true. If you're founding a startup, and want to pool equity with other startups, nobody is going to prevent you. But VCs might be less inclined to fund you too.

So it's a question of what matters more to you -- taking more risk and perhaps getting more funding, or having less of both.