[eroslaw]

And yet, you can't always swap a startup built with one's own hands with a bunch of others, just as one's child is not tradable for a bunch of other kids. Some founders might view their startups as pure investments, but I'd wager that more often than not, they view it as their child.

[davidw]

Startups are businesses intended to make money. Kids are kids. While you may feel an attachment to the former, there may come a time when selling is the best strategy. With kids, that's generally frowned upon.